When I was asked about what my priorities were growing up, I responded with a chipper, “My family, friends, and playing with my Littlest Pet Shop set!” Although this sounds like a perfect set of priorities, it hasn’t always stayed that way.

Entering high school really shifted what was important in my life. I put my social life, parties, and drama first. Instead of spending Sunday with my family, I would sleep the entire day because I had been up late the night before.

School became foreign to me. I didn’t care about my grades, I procrastinated homework, and I let my GPA drop immensely.

My lack of focus in school and my new interest in partying caused a strain on my relationship with my parents. They weren’t able to trust me, and I was constantly arguing with them. Through all of this, I became bitter with my parents. I was so caught up in drama, parties, and my social life that I didn’t realize the mistakes I was making.

When my parents wanted to give me another eye roll worthy talk, I sat down at the kitchen table getting ready to hear the usual, “You don’t just get to run wild every weekend” and “Lauryn, these grades really need to come up.” As usual, I was ready to respond with, “You guys don’t understand. The weekends are for me and my friends,” and “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get them up.” Instead of the usual bickering, my mom wanted to work with me to make a plan on how I was going to change into a more responsible young adult. We talked about my future goals. In that moment, I realized that I didn’t have my priorities straight. I was selling myself short of what I was capable of. I realized that I was not putting myself on the path to be as successful as I could be.

I slowly began to change by making school a main priority and saving my disappointing grades. I built up a trustworthy and strong relationship with my parents.

Even though I still enjoy going out with my friends every weekend, I now know how to manage my time better. I make an effort to spend each Sunday with my parents, whether it’s running errands with them, or watching TV.

Next time you look in the mirror, ask yourself, “Are my priorities straight?” If your answer includes “No” or “I’m not sure,” I would highly recommend reevaluating what’s truly important in your life.