Author Jim Collins said, “If you have more than three priorities in your life you have none.”
That really hit me this morning. Three seems like a low number. When I think about that list for me it would be my kids, growing my mind and walking daily. But we also have to balance projects, pay bills, care for family or friends in need, do chores, cook meals and interact in society. The list can be endless. How can we only have three priorities?
If we think about what will really matter in five years or what we will regret later in life if we leave it undone, it might be easier to build that list.
And we can always change our minds. Different seasons call for different reasons. As Albert Einstein once said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
We must also remember that one answer will not work for everyone or for one person in all moments. It’s a trial by fire full of uncertainty and failure. As author Neil Gaiman said, “If you are making mistakes then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.”
So what if we choose three priorities for today? What are the three things that are most important in this moment? Then take action to move each item along. And reassess at the end of the day. Will we make mistakes? Yes. Will we grow? Yes. Will we be able to get more done with less to focus on? Yes.
What are today’s three things? Now let’s work on those priorities like they’re the only things that matter. And see what happens next.