Relationships > Tasks

As I shared this time last year – I love checking items off my list! 

The feeling of accomplishment is embarrassingly addictive. Maybe you can relate. Have you ever added an item to your to-do list, after you already completed the task, for the satisfaction you feel when you put a checkmark next to it? I must sheepishly admit I have.

I certainly value getting things done, not wasting time, and being efficient. The tenacity at which I tackle accomplishing tasks, in many ways, has been foundational to whatever level of success I have achieved in life. In fact, through the years I have received many compliments for that very skill. That said, the very strength one possesses, when taken to an extreme, can become unhealthy. 

How do I define unhealthy, as it pertains to completing tasks? 

Placing greater value on accomplishing tasks compared to valuing relationships with those I love.

Having learned and relearned this truth many times eventually led me to a moment of clarity – a moment where I realized this drive to get things done, when done at the expense of relationships, was not only unhealthy, but a direct contradiction to my core values.

Eventually, with awareness of this blind spot, I made the decision to ask a few close friends for help – i.e., accountability from those I knew would tell me the truth. I humbled myself, admitted my bad habit, and gave them permission to tell me when they saw me prioritizing tasks over relationships. 

Who in your life holds you accountable and is willing to tell you the truth, even when it doesn’t feel good? I consider myself fortunate to have several of these individuals – and I am forever grateful for the role they have played in helping me get better in this area. While I acknowledge this isn’t a battle I will ever completely win, nor will I always correctly choose relationships over tasks, I am making progress. 

Fortunately, while I am a work in progress, many of my closest relationships seem to have this skill in spades – and I have been the benefactor.

Case and point: Over the last two weeks, I have been overwhelmed with gratitude by all the encouragement I received after my Achilles injury including – emails, text messages, phone calls, etc. With no shortage of tasks to check off their lists, these individuals made their relationship with me a priority. They have modeled what it means to value relationships over tasks, and I am incredibly grateful.

I hope when the moment comes that they need to hear from a friend, I return that favor remembering this simple truth.

Relationships > Tasks