What are your priorities in life?

I went to HSBC today together with my wife to do some banking matters. While waiting for the customer service officer to assist me with my phone banking pin application, she politely requested me to complete an in house survey form, titled, What are your priorities in life? What a reminder... I said to myself, we should be asking the above question everyday to remind us of our priorities.

The survey is related to personal financial planning. The lady asked me to rank the answers from 1 to 4 (1 – Top Priority, 4 – Low Priority) The questions are as follows:-

1. Reducing Commitment (Paying off your debts)

2. Financial Security (If your income stopped, what problems would that cause your family)

3. Education Planning for your children (What are your plans for your children’s education)

4. Retirement Planning (If you haven’t got sufficient income to retire on, how would that impact you?)

What are your rankings?

I once read an article on Time Management by Tim Elmore and he taught me on How to Determine Priorities.

Below are three Rs that will help you start to find out where your focus should be. Knowing your priorities then will help you schedule your time better. Ask yourself these questions and see if they help you.

• Reward: What gives me the greatest joy? Finally, as you sort through your personal priorities, look of the element of personal fulfillment. There is deep satisfaction in doing what you are gifted, and perhaps even "called" to do. There is nothing easier than not finding time to do the things you don't want to do.

• Requirement: What is required of me? When you feel overwhelmed by obligations, stop and sort out your "must dos" from your "choose to do's" Our obligations in life are the biggest priorities we have, but more often than not, you will find that you really do not have to do many things; you choose to do them. Simply ask: what must I do? What is required of me here?

• Results: What gives the greatest return? When sorting our priorities, ask the question: What brings the greatest results when I do it? You should spend most of your time working in the area of your greatest strength. He is a wise man who wastes no energy on pursuits for which he is not fitted; and he is wiser still who from among the things he can do well, chooses and follows the best. Find your gift and capitalize your time using it.

Here’s a Checklist for making decisions.

• Is this consistent with my priorities?
• Is this within my area of competence?
• Can someone else do it better?
• What do my trusted friends say?

I want to leave you with a powerful quotation on priorities by Tom Hopkins, a man who inspired me to take the challenge to succeed in the world of selling. He quote, "Getting in touch with your true self must be your first priority."

Live your life to the fullest potential. Life is fantastic!