There is a finite capacity of work that each of us can accomplish in a day. Successful business leaders curate their time and spend it on critical, high-value tasks that help them make the most difference for themselves and their business. This considered approach centers on catalyzing every available second into real-world results.
Prioritization is Key
Begin by listing the main objectives you wish to accomplish on a particular day in descending order of priority. Look at your list again – only the first three are your real priorities. Tasks lower down on the list may be important but they are not crucial.
This top-heavy plan works because we often find the time to squeeze in less important things after we have tackled the important ones. Conversely, when we attend to menial tasks first, it rarely leaves us enough time to contend with major ones.
Stephen Covey summarizes it thus: Highly successful people never get everything done in a day, but they always get the most important things done in a day.
Finding Time
Find time and use it. Our days are peppered with brief periods of inactivity that we usually squander. It may be a lull in the 10 minutes before lunch or the 15 minutes when a meeting finishes early. Build a habit of seizing these opportunities to work on the items at the top of your priority list.
Delegate away minor tasks that do not require your personal attention and use that time to accomplish the most critical outstanding issues.
Focus Gets You There
All your planning will amount to naught if you cannot adhere to your list. Train yourself to tackle it as soon as the workday begins and keep chipping away. The satisfaction of crossing an item off your list is a joyful reward in itself.
Often, the factor that makes the difference here is focus. Many people give up on to-do lists altogether because they cannot summon the powers of concentration necessary to complete outstanding tasks.
Instead of brute single-mindedness, take small breaks between sprints of work to keep yourself from getting frustrated. Simple mind exercises and even ancient techniques like yoga and meditation can help you build your ability to focus for extended periods of time.
Prioritization is simply a means of accomplishing more with your most valuable resource: time. Master it and watch your productivity soar. Questions? Contact me today.
