Focusing On Priorities

There are multiple tasks commanding your attention.  Identifying your priorities is an essential skill to help you work effectively.

Eight ideas to increase your success in focusing on priorities include:

  1. Identify a specific deadline for every task you need to complete.  This deadline can be imposed by others or self imposed.  If a deadline is not communicated; request one.  If need be, negotiate the deadline to ensure it is do-able.
  2. Include activities related to larger projects in the above process.
  3. Identify the start time required to complete your tasks on time.  Include a buffer for high profile and/or time consuming tasks.
  4. Remove tasks that have no deadline i.e. reports that need to be read, articles of interest etc. from your immediate work area.  Store them out of sight.
  5. Identify the tasks that need to be completed today…. these are your “A” priorities”.
  6. Organize the tasks that need to be started on another day in order of their start date… these are your “B” priorities.
  7. Work only on your “A’s” until all of them are complete. 
  8.  If time permits work on the “B” that next needs to be started.