Prioritising

Like me recently, you may have found yourself with a seemingly ever-growing list of tasks and no idea how to prioritise. This is what I learned (inspiration from Earl Knightingale and Tom Bilyeu):

The good news: learning to prioritise is not as complicated as it seems.

The answer lies in knowing your “why”. i.e. What is the big picture you want for your life? What is your “why”? Some people call this purpose.

Know your why

It may sound extreme to some people, but if you do not know your “why”, other people and priorities will always dictate the direction of your life.

I believe that living a passive life like that is why so many people are unsatisfied with life.

If you do not know what you want, you do not know which direction to go or what to do. How can we set the right direction?

At the least, you need to have an idea of what is most important to you or the company you are working for (ideally the company you work for fits in with your “why”).

Goals->steps->tasks->rank->eliminate->execute

1. Once you know your big picture “why”, break it down into goals.
2. Break each goal into steps (how do I achieve this goal?).
3. Break them down further until you are at task-level. Now you have a real To-do list.
4. Rank the tasks in order of importance.
5. Ask yourself, “Is this task taking me toward or away from my big picture goal?” Eliminate any task that does not serve your goals.
6. Execute: work on the first (most important) task until it is finished. Move on to the next.

You can change the word “task” in number 5 to “action” or “reaction”, to help you when making decisions. See through the lens of your big picture goals.

I promise you, if you set and follow meaningful goals it will change your life.

Competing priorities

Sometimes, you may have competing priorities-you may need to work on more than one at the same time. If this is really unavoidable, it is best to compartmentalise these.

For example, I am studying for a Diploma and I am soon to change jobs (for anyone who read my previous post, I got it!) and I need to do a lot of study for both roles.

I followed the process I described earlier, but because both are really important to my “why”, I assigned the top competing tasks different time slots each in my day or week. That time slot is only assigned for one task. Task switching or multitasking kills productivity. For efficiency, I may knock out a smaller, lower priority task in the remaining time if I finish sooner than expected. I do not work/study outside of these time slots or my job. The rest of my time is dedicated to family, rest, other responsibilities, and social time. This is what works for me.

Responsibilities

Of course, there will always be responsibilities we cannot avoid, such as looking after children, keeping the house clean and tidy etc.

Looking after your children is non-negotiable (and hopefully a joy!), but check if there are any perceived responsibilities in your life that are unnecessary-things people have imposed on you, or you think you should do. Anything unnecessary you can cut out-learn to say “no”.

The best way to think about this for me has been to consider the likely consequences if I do not carry out these responsibilities.

Neglect

Not doing something once might be okay, but also, consider what neglect could look like long-term. If I do not tidy my room, it might be okay for a while, but eventually, it is going to cause me unnecessary stress and wasted time when I do not have space or I cannot find things. The clutter will affect my thinking.

If I eat junk food every day I might not notice for a while, but it is damaging my body from the inside and I will ultimately pay for it in the long run.

Now flip it on its head-if I do meaningful and productive things every day, what could my life look like in 1, 2, 5, 10 years? Learn about compounding!

Systems

Set systems in place to ensure you follow your tasks and stay on track to reaching your big picture goals:

Reduce unnecessary decisions (routine)-do the same things at the same times every day/week where possible, and ideally after you have done all your most important tasks. Write out and display your day’s plans the night before.

Use time slots for each part of your life. Intentional and planned. Have time slots for spending time with those you care about, work/study, non-work related responsibilities, rest/sleep, social, and entertainment.

Which tasks use the least brainpower? Assign these to the end of the day-keep your mind free to focus on the important things.

When are you most productive? Assign the most important tasks to that time slot.

Switch off phone notifications, do not use your phone during productive time (set a break-time timer for phone use).

Set clear boundaries with the people around you. E.g. When you are working on a priority, people cannot disturb you during that time slot.

Finally, and these are all things I struggle to manage, remember to spend quality time with those you care about and look after your physical and mental health (sleep, rest, eat properly and exercise, spend time with loved ones etc.).

Be relentless. Be outrageous.