Focusing on What Matters Most

The days that we spend with family are always eventful and full of energy, excitement, activity, and lots of laughs. Today my three year old and I sat at the dining room table to eat dinner. He was full of stories and had lots to share about his day at childcare, who did what to whom, what he saw outside, what he played with, and who obeyed and disobeyed Honeygram, his childcare provider.

As I sat listening to him, I remembered how many evenings I spent at the dinner table with my sisters, and all of the conversations we had as we ate. My parents were close by, in the kitchen talking about the news, and politics and the days events.

I always wondered why we never all sat down together, but now as a parent I understand it well. Although it's my intention to sit as a family together each night, and share a meal and conversation it sometimes gets put aside for just getting through the evening routines of dinner, baths, bedtime stories, and cuddle time with my hubby. (which is always last on the list, and rarely attained within the week)

So here's my tip for the week on focusing on what matters most:
1. Determine what your "matters most" priorities are. Mine are always the same, God, Family, Service to others, and Creativity.

2. Forgive yourself if you don't get to the "matters most" everyday. Try to achieve something each day, and work towards getting it all done over longer periods of time, months, quarterly, annually, depending on what's happening in your day.

3. Keep "matters most" item on your radar by placing them on your to do list, or calendar. Anything left to itself, never gets done. The planned is always carried out.

4. Celebrate simple achievements! Today, I sat at the dinner table and ate a meal with my son. No magazines, no computer, just conversation and good food. Wow! That is an accomplishment.

5. Keep first things first! Enough said.

Good night, time to go cuddle with my hubby!