Steven Covey has written several books aimed at training business leaders to be more effective. Perhaps his best known book is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He says, “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”*

This is a challenge in many workplaces. In fact, the Pareto Principle states that 80% of results come from just 20% of work activities. Identifying and performing those important activities are vital for success. In other words, we must prioritize!

This is also true in our personal lives. Often we want to buy a new house, purchase furnishings and entertainment gear or go on vacation. But at times, it may be more important to prioritize work and developing our job skills. Listen to Proverbs 24:27, “Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”(NIV) This Proverb instructs the farmer to prioritize the field work. Why? It’s easy to figure out -- you get a harvest from the field work, but not from the house.

I want to encourage you to stop for a minute and think about your work. When working, do you focus on the important activities that deliver the most results? Is developing your work skills a priority? Obviously, work should not be our highest priority. But it should never be our last priority either.

*"Priorities Quotes," Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/priorities

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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.