Transcription
We speak this morning on how to achieve your major priorities for 2023. The new year has started, and what normally happens is that many times people do not meet up with their responsibilities, meet up with their commitments. And when they do, many don't meet up on time. Set goals and targets for the year are not always met by many people.
One of the reasons is, so every year is because our energy and focus and time resources, attention is usually diverted to too many things at the same time. A priority is considered as urgent. Some things are more urgent this year, and there are some things once it is done this year, then for the next three, four, five years, you won't have to do anything about that same thing. So if there's any time to put aside other things and focus on the on that particular thing, is this year, 2023.
Every year has its own priorities. Every year has his own priorities. In the Book of Proverbs, the school of wisdom, the spirit of wisdom will teach us. He says, build up your work, build up your business, and then build your house. So that means one should come first before the other. One, have a solidified stream of income, and then build your house. A priority is something that is considered as urgent and more important at a particular time, at a particular time. Something that must be done within a particular time frame. Something that demands compulsory attention, compulsory attention.
And one reason why many believers do not win a single soul, a single soul, every year is because it is not their priority. It is not their priority. There are ways we will know what is really your priority. There are ways we will know. Anything that is really a priority to you, you will have called it principal attention, principal attention. You will also give attention to other things, but you are called that thing principal attention.
In Matthew 6:33, the Bible is telling us here, and our Lord Jesus will speak himself. He said, "But contemporary English versions, about more than anything else." That's talking about priorities. Now, more than anything else, your priorities will reflect in your budget. Yes, yes. Go and check the states that are consistently coming out among the top five in education in Nigeria, and you are going to also observe that those states give a higher percentage of their annual budget to education, to education. Understand that. Don't invest in education, it will also reflect in their results, the performance of students in schools from that location, and also in their written among the states in the Federation.
Jesus is saying in Matthew 6:33, he said, "But more than anything else, more than anything else." These other things are important, but more than anything else. So some things are more important at a particular time, at a particular time.
How do we apply the key of priorities? One, we need to have a written list, a written list of our current major priorities. And that is why if you are heading an organization, you are going to request that all those in some level of managerial position, those who are heading departments, sectors, should submit reports. What are your plans for this year? What are your goals? What are your targets for this year? You are going to demand for reports. And you don't tell your boss that you have some good things in mind and you want to begin to talk about it. No, it is compulsory that those things must be documented. They must be written down. They must be written down. The Holy Bible is written down for us to read over and over. And anything you are not consistently punctual to, punctual for your attendance, it shows you are not really taking that thing as a top priority. We need to make the right choices.
And number two, you need to identify your priorities from God's perspective. Identify your perspective, your your priorities from God's perspective. And that is what exactly Jesus is advising us to do here. Matthew 6:33, contemporary English version, he said, "But more than ever, and put God's work first. Put God's work first. Do what he wants, then the other things will be yours as well." You spend money for yourself, but give God's God's needs the proper attention they desire. So you must look at it, write down, pick your priorities from God's perspective. What does God want you to take more serious this year?
And number three, choose your priorities for specific timelines, for specific timelines. What is your priority for the new year? It must be written down. It must be written down. Once a week, you have to read it. My priorities for 2023. Choose your priorities for the new month, or some particular months of this year. There will be times where you need to dedicate the whole of a particular day just for a particular thing. In fact, there will be times you need not take any phone call if you are going to really give your best to that day's priority. No phone calls.
Number four, you need to identify equally intent issues that are competing with your priority. Because see how we've defined it so. Don't these are not less, they are not unimportant things. They are not this. You can because sometimes we we may we may be careful. We have to be careful when we look at the word destruction. Destruction can be something that is right. But for a party, for instance, you are you are supposed to be communicating with your loved ones. You're supposed to be communicating with you a lot. But there are times when you know answering the phone and talking with a loved one on the phone is a distraction. It's a distraction. It's a distraction. So we need to identify those things that are competing with our priority for our time, our attention, attention, our resources, who are resources. We need to watch it. We need to make plans.
Still on that number four, on how to reduce your exposure, you need to make plans on how to reduce your exposure to such things that are competing with what is supposed to be the real priority for that.
Number five, you will need to drop a plan on how to achieve them. You will need to drop a plan on how to achieve them. On this plan, you will need to also place timelines on your blueprint. That on that plan, you'll need to identify how best to achieve your priorities.
Number six, you need to drop a budget of what it will cost to achieve them. Their bills you must pay this year. In fact, some people argue that your responsibilities for a year are even more important than your personal goals or your personal dreams or your personal desires. Because some of these personal desires can wait, but some responsibilities, commitment, just cannot wait, or there will be embarrassment.
Number seven, you need to place timelines on each of the priorities as an antidote to procrastination. For instance, take off time duration of each phase, duration of it phase.
Number eight, you need to invest on your priority. Invest on your priorities. Invest time, your valued relationship. Invest time, travel to honor people that are important to you. Travel to be with people that are important to you. And when we say travel, sometimes it will be across countries. That is how everyone will know that you are really close to that person, that you really value that person. Invest your time, invest your resources, invest your assets, invest your assets on your on those things you consider as priority. Share your assets. Let people that you consider valuable to you benefit from the things you have. Let them benefit from the things you have.
Number nine, treat your priorities with a sense of urgency. With your priorities, with a sense of objects, with the sense of urgency. Some priorities need to be given immediate attention, or else it won't work. That thing will suffer. The goal will not be achieved except you give it immediate attention, immediate attention.
And number 10, you need to focus on them and remain focused on them. Focus on them and remain focused. [Music] Right.