What's Your Priority?
Or-Chase two rabbits and catch neither
On the topic of establishing a priority, I have been reevaluating mine. Based on your feedback, I’m making a few changes to this weekly newsletter. I’ll explain it all at the bottom. Thanks for your continued support and as always, please share it with a friend.
The word ‘priority’ entered the English language in the 1400s coming from both the French priorite, and Latin prioritas meaning ‘first’.
The plural form, ‘priorities’ didn’t enter the lexicon until the 1900s.
That is because our ancestors understood something we do not.
Only one thing can be the most important thing.
Last week I started talking about the idea of Purpose, (LOE-4)
Our purpose is the strategic vision that keeps us moving forward on the right azimuth by serving as a steering mark like the Southern Cross in the night sky.
To keep moving towards our purpose there is a never-ending list of things we need to accomplish. All are important, but only one can be the priority at any given time.
Only one thing deserves your attention and action at any time.
When you know your purpose and establish a priority, it becomes easier to identify what you need to produce.
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Our purpose may have multiple components. This is why we must constantly ask ourselves, “What is the priority now?”
Once the priority is established it is easy to follow up with, “What do I have to produce to move my priority along?”
Production related to our priority leads to progress towards our purpose.
If you have learned any lessons while struggling to prioritize, I’d love to hear them.
Next week we’re talking about finding your purpose.
If you haven’t ordered a copy of Tough Rugged Bastards, please consider it. It will be in mailboxes in less than two months. Thanks!
OK, so what’s changing?
The most obvious change is the name. I loved the name Think. Read. Write. Repeat. but I don’t think it clearly expressed this substack's purpose.
That purpose, simply put, is to “Get better at getting better,” and help each of us Walk Point on the patrol which is our lives.
I am eliminating the Read, Write, & Repeat sections, but will absolutely still recommend readings and include quotes as appropriate.
My priority is to keep the main thing the main thing and provide a weekly quick dose of what I hope is wisdom garnered from a life serving in special operations units and training those who still serve.
Paid subscribers (Thank you for your support) will continue to receive the monthly roll-up.
I would truly appreciate it if you would consider sharing this with a friend who might benefit from it.
See you next Thursday!
I love this post! It was a constant theme when working in crisis communications in military public affairs. Balancing the priorities and reminding commanders that "if everything is urgent, nothing is urgent." Getting people to focus on agreed-upon objectives and stay on task was the #1 priority! :)
I had never thought about the pluralization of "priority" but it does seem silly to say "priorities". Thanks for the great piece of writing.