In today’s society, everything is a “priority”. To know what actions really demand my focus and which ones could sit on the shelf for a while takes some major balance. What is a “priority”? My personal working definition has become, “An action that requires my immediate 100% attention.” By placing boundaries around myself, I’m guaranteed to get more accomplished. Here are a few points I use to determine my priorities for the day.
[clickToTweet tweet=”People’s lack of preparation shouldn’t define your priorities. People won’t change if you crater.” quote=”People’s lack of preparation shouldn’t define your priorities. People won’t change if you crater.”]
1. Who owns this project?
Sometimes people place a demand on you to accomplish things for them. As much as I enjoy helping, and want to help, I must first realize I have my own list of things to accomplish. I place their task on a separate list and accomplish part of it when I get to that place in my day.
2. To-do or Today that is the question…
Patrick Lencioni (@patricklencioni) talks about the great concept that you will forever have a to-do list. Like God’s love, it’s never ending. Instead of feeling overwhelmed for not completing your whole to-do list, keep one large list and pull tasks over to a “Today List”. I’ve used a few different apps to help organize these tasks. Todoist is my app of choice these days. Whether it’s with a phone or a post-it note, find what works for you.
3. What can I do to keep the ball rolling?
A leader is only as good as their team. Due to my current position, I have a lot of team members who rely on me to complete tasks so they can keep moving on their own projects. I always like to accommodate the team at the start of my day. When the team wins, I win. Keep them moving and see productivity go to the next level.