Five Important Things

Recently a coworker asked me how I did it all.  I had just talked with a group of 4th grade students about writing for a national bike blog based in Austin.  In addition to my job as an assistant principal, I work as the technical director in a local university’s theater department, sing in a community choir once a week, write a monthly article for this blog, and play in the local amateur soccer league once a week. I am also the father for three wonderful boys and the husband to one very understanding woman. Together we also help with our church, ride bikes as often as we can, and try to be a normal family.  Am I trying to do too much?

My coworker’s question  got me thinking I was just a little spread out at the moment.  I was able to keep all of the plates in the air . . . but just barely some days.  Those feeling the greatest effect of all of this over commitment included my wife—as she spent bunches of time acting as a single parent, and my boys, who always want to spend as much time as possible with their dad.  The following week, when wife went to our family physician for her annual well-check, he asked her what her top five things were in life. He wondered if she was making sure those top five things were getting the most priority.

All of this conversation about setting priorities, just confirmed what I secretly already knew, but wasn't willing to address. I needed to pare down my time commitments if I wanted to make sure I kept my family as the top priority.  For me this was not an easy thing to admit, and I found myself trying to group things together so I could justify keeping multiple activities (i.e., soccer, bike commuting, and cyclocross = physical activity) or (community choir and theater work = fine arts).  I decided that in order to really get this under control, I was going to need to be more discerning. There would be no cheating.  So here goes; this is my current top five.  This public declaration of the top five is an attempt to put what is important at the top of my time commitments. Does it mean I won't do the other things?  No, but it does mean I am going to now prioritize and say "NO" to them if doing them doesn't allow for the important things in life. Here they are:

1. Family   2. Work   3. Bike   4. Friends   5. Theater

The hardest thing about this list, for me, is admitting that soccer just is taking up too much of my time, and it isn't even a priority.  I am sure as the boys become old enough to start participating in organized activities (soccer, biking, theater) I will have to move that up the list, but for right now this is my list.  I am going to enjoy it while I can.