We’ve all been there—hurrying to finish one thing while juggling a dozen other things. We don’t want to let anyone down, disappoint someone who’s expecting something of us, or fail to meet our own expectations for ourselves. Unfortunately, the more we try to do, the more we risk missing, losing, or failing at something.
When Priorities (Should) Outweigh Commitments
As Joe Kannapell so importantly reminds us in The Last Word this month, it’s very easy to ignore bad habits when you become consumed by work. Even so, putting your work commitments over your health can have disastrous effects.
Likewise, there has been some uncertainty about when this issue will be ready for release. Of course, our target is the first of the month, but a couple of health crises of friends and family arose during the final stages of production. Which brings us that other place we’ve all been—figuring out a way to prioritize a person in our lives over a work commitment. But, the truth is—that shouldn’t be such a hard choice. We shouldn’t have to debate giving time to a loved one even though a work commitment may be late.
Knowing the Difference
Will the magazine be distributed on August 1st this month? Maybe…maybe not. Will people wonder why it’s late? Maybe…maybe not. Do we need to explain why it’s late? Probably not. Will we know that the timing is justified based on our priorities? Yes, indeed.
Things happen, situations do not go as planned, and our best intentions may not be enough to ensure that we accomplish all of our commitments every time. Please keep that in mind the next time you are confronted with choosing a true priority over a commitment, regardless of how pressing, urgent, or significant that commitment may seem.