I have been reading a book titled Manage Your Day – To – Day: Build your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind, written by a group called 99U. This book has eaten my proverbial lunch.

Every page seems to be riddled with ideas that not only hit home, but perfectly articulate some of the areas in my life where I struggle with finding space for the things I say I value. The book has helped me put into words an idea that has been  gestating for quite some time:

There is a cost for everything.

Think about that idea for a moment.  Everything costs you something. There is no relationship, no activity, no resolution that does not cost you something. The cost could be time, focus, or mental space that you would otherwise have reserved for something else.

Take social media, for example. Social media has one job – to gain your attention. Once it has your attention then it wants to maintain your attention. All of this attention comes at what cost? How much do Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat cost you in your day?

I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with those social media outlets, and trust me – I use them all -- but what do I give up because of the attention they demand?

When I think about the start of the new year, new resolutions, new focus on what matters most, then this question has to be raised: What is the cost?

I don’t know about you, but I do a good job of talking about all the things I want in life. I’m really clear about my priorities and what I say I value. Where I struggle is when it comes to pay the price of what I want.

For example, I want to be healthier, but am I willing to get up at 5am and go to the gym? I want to spend more time with my family, but am I willing to miss a meeting?

If we are serious about what we want in life, then we must get serious about paying the price.

There is a cost to everything. Are you willing to pay the price?