Prioritizing Priorities

Get it done, get even more done, and then some. Sound familiar? For those of us who have set priority lists of tasks or projects to accomplish, one of the hardest challenges is to complete those higher level or more urgent priorities before we start to tackle a lesser priority. So what are we really talking about?

One of the skills sets you need to develop so you can get more done with your available time, to create the feeling that you are in better control of your time, and, to reduce your negative stressors, is to learn to set priorities. A simple technique, after listing all tasks to be completed for the day, or week, or month, is to assign the letter "A" to urgent priorities, the letter "B" to less urgent tasks, and the letter "C" to those items that should be done at some point but are not in urgent need of attention.

Let's look at an example. A, B, and C priorities have been assigned by you to tasks that need to be completed.

Let's assume that you have two "A" priorities each requiring one week to complete, the two "Bs" need three days each to finish, and that the two "C" priorities can each be done in one day. Obviously "A" should get your immediate attention. So far so good.

Once you have completed your first "A" in the one-week that you assigned to it, what next? Do you start on a "B" priority? The simple answer is, no. Why?

If you decided to work on a "B" priority next, you would, in reality, be setting the completion date of your other "A" priority back three days. In other words, you could have already been working on the other "A" priority for three days. Instead, you have taken away from the whole meaning of prioritizing your priorities.

The important aspect in assigning priority to your tasks is to ensure that you devote your available time to the most important, the most urgent. You need to finish all "A" priorities first before you move on to "Bs", and then "Cs".

Let's be honest. It is easier to move on to a "B" priority after completing an "A" because you know it will take less time, and probably less effort. But, all you are doing is delaying what should have been done first and thereby increasing your stress because you know you should be working on the other "A" priority. The chances are that you will unconsciously hurry through the secondary priority so you can quit worrying about what you really should be doing.

The long and the short of it is that when you do what you should be doing, you not only accomplish the most urgent priorities but you also reduce stress.

The application of following your priority list is the same for work as it is to school, or to household issues. After all, if the "A" priority at home is to pay the mortgage on time by making one more commissioned sale to an interested party, it isn't going to happen if you waste time on a "B" priority like making cold calls to people who haven't previously expressed any interest in buying your product. Sure, "B" has to be done, but that's not going to accomplish your "A" priority right now.

Prioritize your priorities, stick to them, reap the rewards, and help keep your stress in check.