Your Morning Routine Blueprint106when it comes to planning. We get caught up in the day- to- day
“urgent” matters that arise. As if we’re caught in a riptide in
the ocean, we slowly drift away from where we thought we
were headed.
That’s why I encourage you to grow your planning ability
by focusing first on your priorities. Have you ever taken the
time to verbalize your priorities? Do you know what they are?
Do you know what order they are in? How well does your
real- life schedule match up with your priorities?
I heard someone once describe priorities in terms of con-
centric circles, like an archery target. The most important
things are in the center, and the others radiate outward: God,
family, friends, calling (whether that’s your job, ministry, or
hobby), and so forth. Whenever anything isn’t going well in an
inner circle, we need to pull our energy back from the outer-
circle areas until we’ve resolved the inner circle issues.
Phase 1: Determine Your Priorities
Several years ago, I took the time to create a personal mission
statement. It didn’t take long— just an hour or two at a coffee
shop— but it’s been instrumental in my ability to keep first
things first in my life. When work feels full, I remember that
work isn’t at the top of my list; God and my family are. While
work may fill some days, if things aren’t right between God
and me or between a family member and me, I need to scale
back in some way and give attention to my true priorities.
I challenge you to schedule a coffee (or tea or soda) date
with yourself and create your personal mission statement. It
doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to sound official. The
point of writing a mission statement is simply to determine and