ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES

ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES

We are pressed on every hand with too much to do and far too little time to do it. We all feel overwhelmed. Today’s topic is designed to bring order and purpose to your business and to your life.

The Bible tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. What does it mean to be double minded? It means to be easily shifted; easily changed. It is the person who has a difficult time deciding whether to do this or that. It is the one who starts many things but never finishes.

The opposite of the double minded man is the one who is committed to the process and following it to completion. To begin the process, you must first determine your highest priorities and concentrate on them single-mindedly. You must also identify those things you must do first, last and not do at all. Our ability to say “no” is just as important as our ability to say “yes”.

Develop the habit of setting priorities; if you do, you can accomplish anything you want. How do I begin? Make a short list of the things that matter most. No one else can do this for you. This requires that you get alone with your brain; something that most are unwilling to do. Once you have identified your priorities, ask yourself, “How do I go about that?” If the number one priority of your life is God, how do you bring value to that relationship? How do you make sure that this relationship remains preeminent? What activities do I need to incorporate into my life to insure He remains number one? Ask these questions in relationship to your spouse and to your business…

Consider this question; what exactly are you paid to do? Why does your employer give you a check? Is it because you are lucky or because you know someone important in the organization? Is it because you have so much knowledge? No! You do not get rewarded for any of those things. Your reward is not based on what you know; rather, what you DO with what you know. It is based on the activities you do that add value to the company. In our business, there are two things that will get you that reward.

Spreading the word to new prospects and recruits.
Selling product.

Activities alone are not profitable. You can keep yourself busy by alphabetizing your address book, organizing your office, getting the best equipment or dreaming about how to spend the money, but these activities will not bring you success. Jim Rowan has said that every activity should be quantifiable. Chart your progress by creating a small box in your daily calendar with your measurable goals. For instance, “I will tell 10 people about my business opportunity.” At the end of the day - mark your results in the box. The law of the harvest tells us that we must sew in order to reap. By marking your goal and recording the results, you will have a measurable, visual picture of how this comes to pass. You will see that your success is based on your sowing. If there is no seed - there can be no harvest.

Most people are trapped into letting someone else set their priorities. Do you want to be independently wealthy; successful? You must take responsibility for setting the priorities that will lead you to success and wealth.

Once you have identified and are concentrating, single mindedly, on your priorities, ask yourself, “What can I alone do, if done well, that will make a real difference and get me the results that I desire. There are many tasks in life that you might enjoy doing but that could keep you from reaching your goals. You may like to work in the garden or manicure your lawn, but the time that you take to do those things could be used to reach more important priorities in life. If someone else can do it, as good or nearly as good as you can, let them do it.

How do you want to be remembered? Do you want to be remembered as the man with the nicest yard or as the man who loved his wife and was the best dad and grandpa in town? Determine your priorities then you will be able to make deliberate, calculated choices & plans that will take you to your goal.

What can I do to add value to my priorities? Could I read; study; learn something new; follow-up on leads? Ask yourself, “Is this the most valuable use of my time right now?” if not, stop! Go back to those activities based on your priorities for yourself and your family.

Choose one task at a time. Discipline yourself to do that, and do that alone, until it is 100 percent complete. Your ability to stick to a job until it is complete can change your whole life. Great success is not easy but it’s not complicated.

The information Mitchell shared today was inspired by a chapter in a book that he encouraged us to read. He said this book is full of powerful principles and can be used as a reference guide. That book: 21 Secrets of Self Made Millionaires By Brian Tracey