Evoke Development

The problem for most of us is that we are so overwhelmed by the million items on our to-do list, that we lose perspective; making it difficult for us to distinguish those things that are truly urgent and important.

As a result, we rarely feel a sense of satisfaction because we hardly ever complete everything on our to-do list. At the end of the day, we are exhausted, depleted, and dissatisfied, feeling like we once again have failed to do enough. Even on days in which we have been able to cross a bunch of things off our to-do list, we may feel that it was all for nothing because we still have tons more things we have failed to complete.

It is increasingly difficult to make the distinction between urgent and important. Often confusing activity with results, we allow ourselves to be tyrannized by short-term urgencies, missing what is really important to our long-term growth or satisfaction.

Prioritization is the key to controlling the time we have. It propels us from reaction to action mode. Setting priorities ensures that we focus our time and energy on the important tasks and not just the tasks at hand. Failure to identify those things that are important to us allows others to do it for us. Then, we find ourselves dissatisfied because we are wasting our valuable time on things that have little to no importance to us.

As you progress in your career, or transition into a new phase in life, priorities change. At the most basic level, you can prioritize based on time constraints, potential profitability or benefits, or even on the amount of pressure we are under to complete the job.

So let’s bring the conversation back around to you. Does this scenario sound familiar? The project you have been working on for weeks is due today and you are only three quarters done. You’re anxious, can’t concentrate, everything is a distraction, and finally, you blow…

What methods have you found most useful for managing your priorities? What have you found least effective?

Check in next week to read about time stressors and the the value of knowing the difference between urgent and important.