If you were in a situation where you had to choose only three things to have in your life right now, what would be your top three? Adventure, good health, love, vacations, money, financial success, family, career, happiness, friends, more time with your kids, freedom, material possessions, or something else.

An easy question like this can be difficult to answer on the spot. Recently, I was given this same list and asked to rank my top three most important things in my life. 

Can you guess what I selected?

• #1. Career.
• #2. Financial success.
• #3. Family.

When the person turned the screen around to see my decisions, the first look was confusion and surprise. He said, “Family isn’t #1 to you?” And I had to sit back and reflect: although it’s in my top three, why isn’t it my number one?

I think a lot of people with kids, or very close relationships with their family, would probably choose family first. But I put career at #1, and I explained why. I’m still at the age where I’m developing my career, and it’s one of the most important things to me at this point in my life. It brings me happiness and joy. We all need a career or a job, but having something you love and enjoy doing every day, I feel, will bring money and allow me to provide what I need to provide for my family someday.

Does this put me in a weird stance, or make me out of the ordinary? Of course. I also think this gentleman was surprised because I’m a woman at the “prime age” of reproducing and starting a family. I feel that burden and stress every day. But I want to ensure I can support my family in the best ways possible and truly enjoy my time with them.

So many people I’ve met in the drilling industry do everything they can for their families, which sometimes means sacrifice to make sure they have everything they need. A lot of women say they felt fulfilled once they started a family. I’m happy for them, because that is their path and their priorities. Mine are just different, and that’s OK.

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve made the right decision to put my career first, but there’s always that lingering pressure from society to follow a directed path. I still haven’t figured out how to navigate that path with my career front and center, and I think that’s OK. And I’m sure lots of people don’t always get the chance to map out their life the way they want.

I know I will do my best to hopefully one day have the opportunity to not have to pick between any list of priorities, and instead be able to shift and balance them as needed. I know that will come with time.