Thursday, October 11, 2012

Priorities

A few years ago my Dad equated stages of life to writing utensils. Stay with me here, because I think the analogy is really spot on. As a child you can make mistakes without any significant impact, these mistakes are forgivable and forgotten quickly - much like chalk in the rain. As you grow and earn responsibilities, as a pre-teen you're more like a pencil. You can make mistakes, erase them, but a faint trace always remains. In high school your decisions have lasting effects; they can also leave scars. High school is like an erasable pen. (We all know they don't really erase!) Moving on to college, each decision is more important and permanent, and have lasting effects on your personal and professional life. Here, you are in the "pen" phase of life. Last, but not least, the majority of your life is spent as a permanent marker. After college comes all the important decisions; career, life partner, housing, children. At this point in your life personal and professional decisions and mistakes interact with each other; sometimes it's important to take a step back and think about what is most important.
Image courtesy of Chilly Dog Cozy Blog
I had to do this just the other day. As the Round 1 deadline for business school applications looms around the corner (literally... they're due on Tuesday!) I took a step back and thought about what lay ahead. Of course I have to finalize my applications, which involves putting the finishing touches on my essays (seven in total). I also have my first interview at a business school on Monday - which I willing be flying to and from on the same day! Therefore, I must spend the weekend on final preparations. My birthday is next week and Ross and I will be celebrating with a nice dinner on Sunday night. And, to throw a wrench in the works - I had planned to host my birthday party on Saturday night. This entails a lot of prep on Friday night and Saturday day.

This party meant completing all of my application materials by Friday afternoon, four days earlier than necessary. It also meant running the risk of being tired and run down for my interview. This was a risk that I was not willing to take. And so I cancelled my birthday party, for the first time in my life I will not be having a birthday party. Kind of bummer when you think about it that way. It was not a decision that I wanted to make but one that I had to make. Being an adult means making the right decisions and prioritizing items in your life. I guess my homemade Happy Birthday pennants/bunting will have to wait for next year. C'est la vie.

Have you ever been in a situation when you had to decide between what you wanted to do and what you knew you should do?

3 comments:

  1. Ugh, everyday! I think that's what being a mom is, beautiful and thoughtful post. I loved it. Wishing you the best of luck at your interview, you'll knock their socks off!

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    1. Thank you so much, Sarah! You're right - being a Mom is a great example of having to make selfless decisions. James is lucky to have you as his Mommy!

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