Thinking about Priorities

Today in the women's meeting at church, the new organization president, Brittany, talked about priorities and about putting "first things first." She said it's really easy - as we all know - to get caught up in the daily tasks of life and to neglect some of the things that really matter.

I find time management to be an interesting concept. What we do with our time illustrates what we truly value. I know that no one can do everything - but I am certain that each of us makes time for the things that really matter to us. On a very basic level, we make time to shower, to eat, and to sleep (even if we don't eat as well or sleep as much as we ought to). Those things are obviously priorities to us, so we make time for them. We simply can't wait until we find time for the things that are truly important.

Here are some ideas about priorities that I like and want to consider further:

• "Good, Better, Best" by Dallin H. Oaks (October 2007).


• "Put First Things First," which one of Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." (I particularly like the concepts of "urgent" vs. "important" and "Quadrant II Time Management.")


• "Focus and Priorities" by Dallin H. Oaks (April 2001).


• "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33).

By the way, Brittany ended her lesson with one of my favorite scriptures, one that's actually part of my Guiding Principles:

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a [wo]man should run faster than [s]he has strength. And again, it is expedient that [s]he should be diligent, that thereby [s]he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order" (Mosiah 4:27).