What Really Matters - Blog 3: Priorities

Where You Invest Your Love

Where you invest your love,

you invest your life. 

- Mumford and Sons, Awake My Soul

Time is love.

- Josh Turner, Time is Love

You know I have a point to make when the lyrics of two separate songs are required. Here it is: Time is valuable because it's limited; God only gives us so much. Because we understand this, we choose to devote our time to the things which are most important to us, the things we love. And as we go on living, the things we love become our lives. We have to be sure that we're devoting our time to the right things if we really want to use our measured lives to make an immeasurable impact. That's why we have to prioritize. Unfortunately, too many people find themselves at the end of their time with the realization that their priorities weren't what they should have been. In Developing the Leader Within You, John C. Maxwell wrote of a study which found that those on their deathbeds have a common regret of not having done more that would live on after them. I can only hope that when I reach that point, I can't say the same. 

Past Investments and Future Returns

I don't know much about monetary investments, so I won't try to make that parallel here, but I believe the purpose of investing money is the hope of its returns. I believe the same is true in life. Time, like money, is valuable, so we put our time into the things we think will offer us the most returns. For me, this has always been Christ, my family and friends, academics, and extracurriculars. Now that I've started college, these things haven't stopped being priorities, but I have had to learn new ways to handle them. 

Christ

I've spoken in past posts about finding Christ and my church family. I've always considered my relationship with God high importance, but there have been times when it wasn't high urgency. In high school, and even now, this is an ongoing struggle. As Maxwell says, priorities aren't static, but dynamic. The Lord is a priority, but if I'm honest, it takes work to keep Him at the top. In college, everything is battling for you attention, but more than anything, God deserves to be fought for. This year, keeping Christ first is my main goal. 

Friends and Family

I'm a people oriented person and proud of it. Keeping those around me happy will always be one of my top priorities. I've been blessed with family and friends that make this easy. However, prioritizing them hasn't been as easy lately as it once was. I now live hours away from those I'm closest to, and we operate on different schedules, which makes communication hard. But, I will strive to stay in touch with my loved ones. If I do this, I will have accomplished my second goal for the year.

Academics and Extracurriculars

Of my four main priorities, these two have changed the most since moving out and starting college. In high school, academics required very little of me, so my time was devoted to extracurricular activities. Now, to be academically successful, I have to meet higher demands. Because of this, I have had significantly less time to devote to extracurriculars than I once did. I intend to strike a balance between these two. In fact, I have made it my third goal. I want to finish this year with a 4.0 GPA, while being actively involved in no fewer than three student organizations or events. This won't be an easy accomplishment, but I have a plan.

Action Plans

Achieving long term goals requires planning. 4.0 GPAs aren't earned overnight, nor is a reputation for involvement on campus. In order to meet my third goal, I'll have to follow a modified action plan. Actually, the two facets of this goal, academic excellence and campus involvement, exist on two separate action plans, despite their being closely related.

Academic Action Plan

1. Keep a good planner, staying aware of assignment deadlines.
2. Take extensive notes in class, and devote the time necessary to do class readings.
3. Ask questions whenever I have them, utilizing email and office hours. 
4. Manage study time well; don't procrastinate.
5. Review well before quizzes and exams, using practice tests and flash cards.

By following this plan, I know I can achieve the perfect GPA I'm hoping for. 

Involvement Action Plan

1. Record due dates of Executive Staff applications. Allow adequate time for completing applications, and submit them well before they are due.
2. Interview sincerely and successfully, proving to executive boards that you desire to be a member of their organization, along with being a prime candidate for the team. 
3. Attend meetings, both for organizations you were accepted to, and those with open signups. 
4. Participate frequently in events hosted by your organization, devoting your time and efforts to each respective cause. 

Through this plan, I will be more than involved on campus, I will be an ACTIVE PARTICIPANT. This, coupled with my academic action plan, will allow me to fully accomplish my third goal. 

Nothing would make me happier than to finish this school year having met my three largest goals. That would serve as affirmation that I can be successful on my own, and I belong here. To do this, I know that I'll have to rely on Christ, while diligently following my action plans. I have faith that it's possible, and when that faith waivers, I have a support group that will hold me up. At this point, I'm only eager to see how it all plays out.