One of the most important thing that I learn in my journey of becoming a better version of myself is the fact that you need to know your priorities and stick to them. Keep in mind your priorities are temporary. For example, today your priority could be to get a job and one year later your priority is to get a raise or a promotion. I am a core fan of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy, and I am very proud to say I watched every single episode from Meredith meeting Derek at the bar to April Married Mathew. (Sorry if you haven’t watched the last episode of session 14.) Thursday night used to be “The night” from 8 to 11 PM, because I also watch scandal and HTGAWM, nothing else matter but ABC. Now ask me what did I gain from watching every single episode of Greys Anatomy? How did the show change my life for the better?

The only thing I “gain” is that crazy conversation that I can have with another fan and if you’re not a fan it will be impossible to understand what we are talking about. Or maybe Grey’s Anatomy might make its fan miserable if they are still searching for their “person” “Christina” or “Meredith.” If you’re not a fan don’t try to understand that last sentence. It is just to tell you all those hours I spent whacking the show were in a sense a waste of my time. I could have used it to read the 5 Second Rule of Mel Robbins.  Don’t get me wrong, we need some “down” time in our lives, some watch sport, other watch reality show, and me, I watch Grey’s Anatomy. Now the question is, do you make watching your show or sport your priority? If I get a job offer that requires me to work every Thursday from 6 PM to 12 AM would I reject it? Just because it is the time that I watch my favorite show.

The other day in a conversation with a friend, she told me even though she was supposed to study/review for her final exam she couldn’t help herself from watching the Royal Wedding. This statement is the classic example of someone who does not know her priority. Why didn’t she save the program on her DVR if watching the whole thing was that important? Why having a good grade for her final exam was less important than watching Meghan and Harry getting married? What did she GAIN from watching the wedding? The answers to all those questions are simple she doesn’t have a priority.

Yes, we need to relax and do things that we are interested, however, those things cannot come before the things that are going to bring us to the next level of our lives. Do the math and ask yourself what you will gain from choosing this task over another one. Set your priority and stick to them regardless.

“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.”

Brandon Sanderson