First Things First-- Balancing Your Priorities!

I'm not sure Paul had the Japanese culture in mindat the time when he writes, "Seek ye first theKingdom of God and all other things will be addedunto you." I'm not sure how much popularity thebible has in Japan today either. Yet, it seems asthough the Japanese people have at least onebiblical principle figured out. In the book,"First Things First", Steven Covey helps usunderstand how and why the Japanese people thinkhow they do and accomplish so much more thanAmerican's in a same twenty-four hour period.Covey explains, that we can divide all our dailytasks into two main areas of our lives. One areais the Important/Urgent-NOT Urgent area and thesecond consists of tasks in the NOT Important/NOTUrgent area.

In the last twenty years Corporate America hasmarveled at the efficiency and productivity of theJapanese worker. So we decided to study theirbehaviors. Over time researchers have come to thisconclusion that boils down to one basic principle,the "80/20 rule" in life. They found that theJapanese spend eighty percent of all their time ontasks that are Important/Urgent to NOT urgent andtwenty percent of their time on tasks that fallinto the Not Important/Not Urgent at all area. Inother words they determine what daily tasks areimportant by lining them up with their priorities.Then they will spend the majority of their timefocusing on those tasks at hand and less time onless significant areas. Researchers have alsostudied the behaviors of Americans, and incontrast they have found the opposite thinkingholds true. Americans spend eighty percent oftheir time in the Urgent/ NOT so important issuesand twenty percent of their time in the importantareas. In other words, we spend most of our timeon urgent things that don't necessarily line upwith our priorities and take up a lot or most ofour time and emotional energy.

In the bible this principle can be illustrated bylooking at the relationship between Jesus and thedisciples. Jesus spent some time with all of themteaching and leading them, and then their wereonly two or three that were in his inner circlethat he spent most of his time with that went outand taught others more. The point is, Jesus wouldnot have been as effective if he tried to talkwith everybody all the time so he prioritized histime and efforts with his priorities. His prioritywas to teach the disciples so they could teachothers. Yes, Jesus had questions for God on top ofstruggles all through out his life. Yet, he soughtafter the kingdom of God first and fought throughthe small bumps of life.

If we look at each one of our lives right now wemay find that there are similarities between ourspiritual lives and our day-to-day life. Askyourself, are you spending most of your time inless significant areas and not in the areas thatline up with your priorities? Or in in another wayask, are the things I am doing everyday filling meup spiritually and giving me meaning in life? Ifnot then look at the 80/20 rule in your life. Whatpriorities are you seeking first? Are they in theImportant or are they the urgent?

The amazing thing that occurs when keeping firstthings first is this. If you first make a list ofyour tasks and categorize them either I forimportant or U for urgent. Then focus all yourenergy on the "I" list you will find that it willseem as though the Urgent tasks on your list willtake care of them selves. The next thing you willrealize is that you will have more time to devoteto what matters most to you in your life and thatwill give your life more meaning and significance.Try this you will be amazed at the power our Lord.

I'm not sure Paul had the Japanese culture in mindat the time when he writes, "Seek ye first theKingdom of God and all other things will be addedunto you." I'm not sure how much popularity thebible has in Japan today either. Yet, it seems asthough the Japanese people have at least onebiblical principle figured out. In the book,"First Things First", Steven Covey helps usunderstand how and why the Japanese people thinkhow they do and accomplish so much more thanAmerican's in a same twenty-four hour period.Covey explains, that we can divide all our dailytasks into two main areas of our lives. One areais the Important/Urgent-NOT Urgent area and thesecond consists of tasks in the NOT Important/NOTUrgent area.

In the last twenty years Corporate America hasmarveled at the efficiency and productivity of theJapanese worker. So we decided to study theirbehaviors. Over time researchers have come to thisconclusion that boils down to one basic principle,the "80/20 rule" in life. They found that theJapanese spend eighty percent of all their time ontasks that are Important/Urgent to NOT urgent andtwenty percent of their time on tasks that fallinto the Not Important/Not Urgent at all area. Inother words they determine what daily tasks areimportant by lining them up with their priorities.Then they will spend the majority of their timefocusing on those tasks at hand and less time onless significant areas. Researchers have alsostudied the behaviors of Americans, and incontrast they have found the opposite thinkingholds true. Americans spend eighty percent oftheir time in the Urgent/ NOT so important issuesand twenty percent of their time in the importantareas. In other words, we spend most of our timeon urgent things that don't necessarily line upwith our priorities and take up a lot or most ofour time and emotional energy.

In the bible this principle can be illustrated bylooking at the relationship between Jesus and thedisciples. Jesus spent some time with all of themteaching and leading them, and then their wereonly two or three that were in his inner circlethat he spent most of his time with that went outand taught others more. The point is, Jesus wouldnot have been as effective if he tried to talkwith everybody all the time so he prioritized histime and efforts with his priorities. His prioritywas to teach the disciples so they could teachothers. Yes, Jesus had questions for God on top ofstruggles all through out his life. Yet, he soughtafter the kingdom of God first and fought throughthe small bumps of life.

If we look at each one of our lives right now wemay find that there are similarities between ourspiritual lives and our day-to-day life. Askyourself, are you spending most of your time inless significant areas and not in the areas thatline up with your priorities? Or in in another wayask, are the things I am doing everyday filling meup spiritually and giving me meaning in life? Ifnot then look at the 80/20 rule in your life. Whatpriorities are you seeking first? Are they in theImportant or are they the urgent?

The amazing thing that occurs when keeping firstthings first is this. If you first make a list ofyour tasks and categorize them either I forimportant or U for urgent. Then focus all yourenergy on the "I" list you will find that it willseem as though the Urgent tasks on your list willtake care of them selves. The next thing you willrealize is that you will have more time to devoteto what matters most to you in your life and thatwill give your life more meaning and significance.Try this you will be amazed at the power our Lord.

Greg Ryan is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT series. A powerful five step plan to better your life, get healthier, and have more energy! For FREE mini Course click here! http://www.resolutions.bz