How to prioritize like a boss and have time for the things you love!
Prioritize like a boss? Absolutely!
Let me ask you, have you ever had days where you feel like you’re just spinning your wheels?
Or maybe you wish you had more hours in the day? Would you like to have time to do the things you love instead of the things you have to do?
I have felt the same way on so many occasions! That is, until I learned the skill of prioritizing.
“Time is what we want most, but what we spend worst”
— William Penn
Yes, you can get that lengthy checklist completed…
And you can still have time to do the things you love. Plus, you don’t need extra hours in your day to accomplish it!
Learning how to prioritize is an easy skill to master and doesn’t require any extra training or effort on your part.
Learning the skill of prioritizing will also keep you focused so you can check off each item and still have time for the more important things.
Print your prioritized checklist and read on to learn more.
**Please note: This is a 5×7 format and will print sideways so it can be printed twice on the same page. If you would like a full-page (8×11) version, please click here.
Step 1: Write your list:
Focus on the alligators closest to the boat and only list those things that need to be done today. Don’t worry about tomorrow…we’ll get to that later.
Points to keep in mind:
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Assign each item a priority, keeping any pending deadlines in mind. It’s a matter of personal preference but I like to use the alphabet to rank my priorities. ”A” will be the top priority, ”B” will be only slightly less urgent and so on.
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No two items can have the same priority. If there are two or more items that seem to be of equal urgency, ask yourself this question: “If I only have time to work on one thing today, what should it be?” The answer to that question will be your “A” priority. All other items should fall into place after that.
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Now, rewrite your list in order of priority. The Pareto Principle states that 80% of your work comes from 20% of your effort. So it’s important that you be honest with your priorities.
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As humans, we tend to want to tackle the easy stuff first…try to resist the urge. You may be able to check off more items but at the end of the day, those “really important” items are still going to be incomplete.
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Next, assign a time limit to each priority. It’s always best to overestimate how long a task will take. Again, be honest…it’s better to finish a task with time to spare than to rush through the next task, trying to make up for lost time…which never works.
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Finally, learn to say “No”. The boss is one thing. But I encourage you to think twice before you commit. Especially if the request is coming from someone who tends to take advantage of your generosity.
And since that subject is a whole ‘nuther blog post, I’ll simply urge you to ask yourself a question before you commit to more work. Ask if this added work will bring value or happiness to your life. It’s your time you’re giving up so make sure you’re getting something in return.
“Lost time is never found again.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Step 2: Get to work!
Focus on completing each task in order of priority. Do not move on to the next task until the first one is complete.
Points to keep in mind:
- It will help if you can turn off distractions like a cell phone, tv or email notifications. Let them leave a message and you can check them when you take a break.
- If you must answer, only answer the most urgent ones. Seriously! Unless it’s the boss or the fire department letting you know your house is on fire, it’s not that urgent!
- Speaking of breaks, by all means, take one when you complete a task or when you feel the need to refocus. Taking a short break will keep you energized and motivated to complete your list.
- Don’t try to multi-task. I know…it’s the buzz word of the century and a big deal in the workplace. But if it’s important enough that it needs to be done correctly the first time, then it deserves your undivided attention. If you insist on multi-tasking, you may chip away at several items but nothing actually gets completed.
- Or worse, you may have to backtrack to correct something which is definitely not going to save you time.
“Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
— Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe
Step 3: Evaluate your checklist:
At the end of the day, don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t get everything completed. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you only checked off one or two items, they should have been the most important one’s. So pat yourself on the back…it was still a productive day!
Finish it up
Write tomorrow’s list now while everything is still fresh in your mind. Give new priorities to those items that didn’t get completed. This will be one less thing you have to do tomorrow and will save time.
If you prioritize well and stick to these simple steps, tomorrow’s list should be a piece of cake!
Some final thoughts:
You might not have control over what goes on your to-do list, but you do have control over how to prioritize it’s importance. By learning to prioritize and set time limits, you now control where your energy is focused and how much of your time is spent there. That control will give you the ability to complete tasks so your “to-do” list becomes a “done” list.
Your time is valuable…shouldn’t completing your list be a good return on your investment?
When you experience such a great sense of accomplishment, it motivates you to do more, thus making you more productive. In turn, because you stay focused, you are able to complete tasks in less time. That leaves you with more time to spend doing the things you want to do. After all, isn’t that what we all want?
I hope you find this information useful. Please feel free to share it with someone you know who might benefit from learning to prioritize.
Make the most of your time, friends!
lisa
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