Growing up, one of (many) non-negotiable choices in our house was proper grammar. 

(For example, if your sibling was looking for their sneakers, you wouldn’t get in trouble for hurling them across the room as long as you asked, “Are these they?” as the sneakers flew through the air.)  

This is why I often get cold shivers when I hear something described as “kind of unique”.

Why? Unique is binary. Something either is unique or it isn’t.

What other binary word is often misused? (Certainly by me. Maybe by you…?)

Priority. 

Why? Because, by definition, priority means one thing is more important than anything else. 

In our high-achieving world, however, we tend to make everything a priority.

The notion of making one thing—just one—the priority has been lost. 

Instead we get up in the morning with our to-do lists and our multiple priorities and rush about trying to give attention to everything– and commenting negatively to ourselves, about ourselves when every single thing doesn’t turn out perfectly. 

I don’t know about you, but it can be exhausting.

So in these hot and hazy days of summer, I invite you to look at the many, many things you may be holding as priorities and pick yourself one:

One delicious, interesting, unique priority. 

Then pat yourself on the back—because you will handle it beautifully.

If you find yourself struggling to pick just one, take a look at “A (Possibly) New Take on ‘Let it Go’”