The adage says, "We all have the same 24 hours a day". Yes, it's a cliché, and it's likely more annoying than helpful - but it is true.
We can't create more time out of thin air, but we can use it more effectively. That is why prioritizing your tasks is so important. Knowing what you should be working on and when you should be doing it will only increase your productivity.
My wife is an executive assistant at a big firm where she is responsible for all sorts of administrative tasks to a group of partners. But each of these partners have a few audit teams each. And how it works in the audit firm, is that every manager and senior manager in each of these audit teams, also rely on her for certain admin tasks. They don't have their own assistants.
Some of these managers do their admin work themselves. Others rely on her when needed, which is perfectly fine - it's the firm's working model.
Most of them, though, take advantage of her generosity and she doesn't always know where to draw the line as it isn't in my wife's nature to push back. She's a people pleaser. Plus she is very extroverted. A real people person. And very good at what she does. Her attention to detail, and the way that she can juggle so many balls and keep everything moving, is inspiring.
These are a few qualities that make her very popular, but very vulnerable, to be abused and overwhelmed. Everyone that has a little experience in the audit environment will know that it gets especially tough during their so-called busy season. This is when everyone needs everything done all at the same time. And this runs for a few weeks straight, almost to the point of burnout for everyone involved.
Luckily, every busy season is slightly different. So it isn't always equally bad. She always copes. But when she gets overwhelmed, she loses her tight grip on things. And mistakes can happen, which causes her a little anxiety. Luckily, again, she hasn't made any slip-ups yet. But here's the thing:
No matter how good you are, your luck will run out some day and although your overwhelm will be to blame - and not you - the wrong slip-up can be dangerous. Until then, all you can do is keep your eye on all the balls as best you could, even if it means straining your neck to make sure you don't lose sight of any of those balls that you juggle.
This summer our family decided to take a little break. But I could tell my wife wasn't in the moment because she had a nagging feeling that when she gets back, she'll be thrown into the deep end with work that piled up in her absence.
I asked her about her worries and concerns, and together we came up with an action plan for her that inspired me to write this blog entry.
If you want to learn more about prioritizing your tasks, read these ten tips and 3 steps that you can take right away, plus a suggested list for further reading and further resources.
1. What is Worth Prioritizing?
First off, you need to figure out what is truly important to you. The tasks you prioritize should reflect your core values. If you are laser-focused on your career, then career tasks are naturally more important. If you are family-first, then you may rank those tasks higher in priority.
Whatever you do, don't neglect your personal development, your own dreams and aspirations. So remember to include your self-care and also, whatever boosts your mental health as well.
2. Make a List
A great way to start prioritizing is making a list of everything you want to accomplish. You can focus on the short-term, long-term, or even better - both. Don't worry about editing as you go; focus on thinking of as many goals/tasks/to-dos as you can. After that, include everything work related, no matter how small.
3. Rank Your Priorities List by Urgency
Take the list of priorities you create and rank the tasks by urgency. This usually means ranking the tasks when they are due. A typical way of breaking these lists up is to group it into three categories:
Urgent (complete ASAP)
Important (need to address soon)
Leisure (can focus on these in your free time)
4. Break Your Large Tasks into Smaller Pieces
You should strive to break your large tasks down. This makes the task more manageable and lets you have more control over the moving parts. Some smaller parts of your large task might need to be completed earlier than others. It is easier to prioritize when you know all the steps that go into the task.
5. Delegate What You Can
Why waste time prioritizing the tasks you don't even need to do. Figure out if any of your tasks can be delegated or outsourced. This will save you time and energy. You can focus on the more important priorities while the smaller details are handled by someone else. Remember: The fact that you remain responsible and accountable for a specific task, doesn't mean that you personally have to do the task; you can delegate. The trick is that when you delegate, give the person clear instructions and their own responsibility to be accountable to you for the task. That way, you take control of your to-do item without breaking a sweat.
6. Set Deadlines for Each Task
Set some deadlines for each of your tasks. Setting a deadline has been shown to help people follow through. Try to set your deadlines a little earlier than you need. This will help you stay ahead of things and gives you a buffer if you need.
7. Look For Opportunities for Growth
An interesting, if somewhat esoteric tip, is to focus on tasks that grant you growth opportunities. We must continue to broaden our horizons and skillset, so focusing on tasks that help you do this makes sense. If all else is equal, but one task allows you to learn something new and/or to update your current skills, choose to do that task.
8. Start With Your Most Important Task
Another classic tip that you might have heard, is referred to as "eat the frog." It's said that Mark Twain once said that if you have to eat a live frog, do it first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. Well, the idea here is that you start with your most important task. That way you know you at least finished that. Some people choose their most hated task as well. The same idea applies, though; it's all about getting it over with ASAP.
9. ...or Don't
Contrary to the last tip, sometimes you are so unmotivated that you don't have the energy to tackle anything important. When you get to that point, you are at a cross roads: Sit idle or do something else and maintain at least a little momentum? So why not start with the absolute easiest, no-brainer task you can? Sometimes doing that is enough to build your momentum so you can tackle the high-priority stuff next.
10. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small
Celebrations develop a sense of accomplishment. It doesn't have to be grand. Even a mental fist-pump will do! Because no matter how small your celebration, it fuels future momentum. In other words, it builds your inner motivation to keep at it. Before you know it, you do it as your new normal. When that becomes a habit, it becomes a success ritual!
A bonus tip: Pick up the habit of journaling. When you define your goals, and/or make your lists of priorities, use your journal to track your progress of completion. Do it daily. At the end of the day. And first thing in the morning, start there, reprioritize, and continue the momentum from the day before.
Here's 3 action steps that you can take. See how you can expand it on your own:
Suggested Further by Reading
Check out these gems available on Amazon. Note that Woodbridge Hypnosis earns from your qualifying purchases. However, these books may be available at your local bookstore or library. And if not, find anything else that may be on topic!
Open the list to find out more about each. Click the link to buy it on Amazon.
1. Manage Your Time, Manage Your Life
Are you too busy, overwhelmed or frustrated with juggling the responsibilities of life? Did you know that there is actually time for you to do everything that you are supposed to do? Yes, I said EVERYTHING!
As a wife, mother, minister, teacher, entrepreneur, and volunteer, Dr. Charles has mastered the art of time management and packaged it in this compelling book. This concise, step-by-step guide is also a user-friendly workbook for creating the ultimate time management plan for your life.
By doing this book and not just reading it, you can move from busyness to productivity...managing your time, so you can manage your life...purposefully!
2. Prioritization: How to Prioritize Tasks to Increase Productivity
3. Time's Up: Prioritize Yourself Now
4. Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day
5. 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus and Get the Right Things Done
These are small action steps that you can start in your life today. I am very passionate about our innate ability to form little things into natural habits that can shape our behavior in amazing ways. Check out my Success Rituals for Personal Growth program and build Success Rituals like this one above, to become super productive in this 4 week program. Have an explosive start on the rest of your life with small habits and rituals that automate a lot of your success.
Also, if you haven't yet, check out my e-Book, Transformation, that you can buy here.
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