My, How Priorities Change
Over the past few weeks, I’ve met with many people of different ages. I can tell you with certainty, that what’s important to us changes dramatically over time. I think about how our lives are like the seasons. We transition through the vibrancy of spring, into the long growing summer season, and move into a slowing period of fall and then winter.
During our spring, when we’re young it’s all about the future. We can’t wait to be older and do all the grown-up things. Days fly by as we plan and dream about what our life will be like. We anticipate the future and work towards it. We fire off all kinds of shoots in different directions as we try to figure our way through life.
In our summer, we find ourselves in the midst of doing. There is so much to do and plenty of time to get it done. We’re busy growing our friends and family as well as our professional careers. Maybe we’ve achieved some of our goals, or at least we are still on a realistic path to get there. Or perhaps, things have shifted dramatically and what we hoped for is no longer possible or even an interest to us any longer.
As we move into fall, our priorities shift from looking forward to a little more in the present and sometimes into the past. Hopefully, by now we know who we are and where we’re going. Things slow down and our perspective and priorities change once again.
Our circle of friends and associates shifts as we go through our seasons too. Different groups of people share and discuss various topics that can have an impact on us. What we were talking about when we were sitting around the cafeteria as a schoolchild is so different than the conversation we have with our current set of friends and colleagues.
This is why it’s critical to stay connected to yourself. Remain clear on what’s important to you and don’t get caught up in what others focus on. You get to choose what’s key to you and what you pay attention to.
You get what you focus on.
As you go through the seasons of life, listen to yourself above all others, and remember what you want in life and why.