Your Top Priorities.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about priorities.

What do you think about all day long? Is it your career? Your hobby? Your diet? Your family? Consider now that what you think about most is a reflection of your priorities. You may think about your hobbies more than your career, or your diet more than your family. Right or wrong, good or bad, whatever has the majority of your attention is the top priority in your life.

Do your priorities align with your principles? It is a question only you are qualified to answer.

There are some factors to consider before you pass judgment on yourself unfairly. First of all, if you work full time, the best hours of every workday are given to your career. Working is a necessity for most people, unless you were fortunate enough to be born into great privilege. So, working long hours to earn a living would not skew your priorities. However, if you are arriving at the office early and staying late every day, and then working on the weekends too, then I'd suggest that your career is probably your top priority.

For the first fifteen years of my career, my work was all I thought about all day. I was working non-stop and I loved it. Every waking hour was consumed with working, or thinking about working. I'm pretty sure I even dreamed about my work. Unfortunately, I spoiled time with my wife and neglected my children in favor of my work. I had no friends outside of work. I didn't have any hobbies. I didn't take time to watch TV, listen to music, or read any books that weren't somehow related to business. Since my work was my first priority, my career rapidly accelerated as a result.

About five years ago, I stopped traveling, stopped working on weekends, and to started taking at least one "real" vacation per year. I'll be honest with you and say that while my career is still my first priority, it is no longer my only priority. I've found ways to enjoy more aspects of life and achieve a better balance.

For example, I've taught myself to play guitar and I joined a band. My son and I built an awesome tree house. I've started drawing again and my artwork is hanging in a local art museum. I cook meals for my family once a week and I no longer work on weekends... except of course for writing these Marketing Cookies before my family wakes up. It was hard to slow down at first, but I am grateful that I did.

So, what are your priorities? I'm asking you to consider what today's fortune says, "You are what you think about all day long."