Ranking our strategic priorities… in a blink!

Only half a mile to go.
But I could see a bank of red and blue flashing lights ahead.
And they looked as if they were coming from opposite the exit to our road.

That was 7:15 this morning.
Pitch black.
Drizzling.
Cold.
I’d almost finished my 2 mile Power Walk (yeah, right).
So, I felt heroic, and raring to start my day.

But looking at that array of police cars ahead – and the stationary traffic –  my first thought was, “Someone’s had a lousy start to their day.”

My second thought was, “Then again, this is precisely where Wendy waves from her car each morning… on her way to work!”
And my heart started racing.

As I arrived at the scene, I was relieved to see that those crunched and buckled cars did not include Wendy’s.
Moreover, there were no ambulances. People were walking about, talking with the officers on the scene.
In all senses… what a relief!

It made me think, though.
Life can change dramatically, in a blink.

Lives can be altered in a breath; and in a way that signals how fragile are our plans and plottings.

Striding in the dark, towards our front door, pictures of the people I love swam in front of me.
And I rattled through a list of Things Left Undone, Things Left Unsaid, in our relationships.

Today. Now. I’m doing what I’ve left undone for far too long.
“Have-I-told-you-lately-how-much-I-love-you?” phone calls to make. Letters to write. “Sorry’s” to say.

Today.

How clearly our priorities become ranked when Time is truncated and made precious.
How quickly we stop diddling with the Stuff of Life.
How earnestly we direct our attention to What Truly Matters.
To What Became Buried In The List of Projects.

And What Truly Matters is the quality of our relationships.
Always.

Every relationship is perishable.
Every relationship needs consistent investment in the Relationship Bank Account…
Before it becomes overdrawn.

As Leaders, as Entrepreneurs, it’s worth asking this question:
“What single relationship would make the greatest difference to the future of our business?
And what are we going to do about that?
Today!”