Decided and focused priorities call for balance with regard goals and envisioned outcomes. Situational matters in all walks of life are fluid; therefore, most are built around systems and networks requiring numerous priorities, along with respect and trust built into them. Life should be sweet – with the potential for it to become even sweeter.

Said the late Rev. Norman Vincent Peale: “Getting people to like you is merely the other side of liking them.” This requires being in sync with people, and acting gracious in the process. Most people like to share their time and talents in addressing life’s challenges, and will likely do so when requested.

Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister, opined: “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” Gloria Garrison, chair of the Pink Ribbon committee for the Regional Medical Center Foundation, is coordinating activities for a benefit luncheon scheduled for early October. Carrying out decided and focused priorities is the group’s mantra. Ventures like this must be provided human faces and recognition.

Katharine Hepburn (American actress, 1907-2003) voiced an opinion aligned to decided and focused priorities. She said: “Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well find something that is going to be interesting. And you can’t do that by sitting around.” With regard to decided and focused priorities, one must stretch a bit in dealing with matters essential for progress.

Here are seven ideas to shape one’s initial involvement with decided and focused priorities:

1. Think bigger than usual. Think beyond the box, or the circle, in conceptualizing life’s possibilities. Imagine something that is off your radar screen. Put it on. Now go for it.

2. Skillfully play the cards you are dealt. Cards possess potency, and players achieve results on how their cards are played. Point: All cards in the deck possess trump power.

3. Heed gurus. Gurus offer professional guidance and direction for competency and respectability to be achieved. Heed those directives compatible with your and interests.

4. Be a team player. Being a team player is a hallmark attribute. When effective teams work around decided and focused priorities, they win. The NBA team that wins the 2007 finals will have the greater number of players with team player contributions.

5. Exude confidence. Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps are not only superb athletes in their respective sports, they exude confidence aplenty in competitive and social interactions. They are not being arrogant; they are exercising gifts many people wish they possessed. Said Joe Paterno, Penn State University football coach, “Act like you expect to get into the end zone.”

6. Change for the better. Things change, and it is good to favor change when necessary, e.g., use of the Internet, online instruction and distance education, regular dental checkups, a checking account. But if one wishes to cling mainly to a rotary telephone, please keep it. By the way, the Bluetooth is available for cell phone use.

7. Minimize mistakes. Mistakes occur. Automobiles are recalled; baseball pitchers hit batters; chefs discard burned meat; repaired roofs leak. Minimize mistakes.

Decided and focused priorities are staples. And if the priorities are robust and creative, they add oomph to one’s circumstances. Operate from this stance: On your mark, get set, go!

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