What it means to know your priorities

We've all heard the phrase "Know your priorities". I've occasionally given some serious thought to what that really means. But every now and then I need a reminder.

I used to use it to figure out conflicts between my goals. For example, when I was paying off my debt, I decided that debt freedom was more important than losing weight. This meant that when my weight loss goals and my financial goals conflicted, the financial goals were gonna win. Recognizing this, I cancelled my gym membership and found free ways to exercise (among other changes).

But this morning I had a realization about how priorities need to enter into smaller decisions. Yesterday my company had a potluck. I cooked way too much of the dish I brought, so I have lots of leftovers. So last night and this morning my thoughts were about how I eat all that food without letting it destroy my diet efforts. At the very least, it was gonna mess up the balance of my macros. This morning I started entertaining ways to include that dish in my breakfast.

Then I stopped myself because it doesn't really matter. I hate throwing away food, but the effect on me of throwing it away is the same as if my coworkers had eaten it all - and whether or not that dish gets eaten does not effect anything that is really important to me. I let that potluck cause me to overeat a lot yesterday, I can't let that effect linger.

So I planned my meals like I have been for the last two weeks, and included a serving of that dish in dinner (when I usually include some whatever's-in-the-fridge type meals). I'll do it again tomorrow, and Monday I'll throw away what's left. And I'll be okay with it, because the more important cause is winning.

Have you given much thought to what your priorities are? How does that clarity impact your big decisions? How about the small decisions?