Prioritize Like a Boss
Sometimes the problem isn’t that you don’t set priorities, because you do. The problem could be that you don’t have enough of them to address the things you want in life or the ones you have are simply outdated and fit your current situation like a pair of too tight jeans.
Priorities can lose their effectiveness if done in haste and ignored once the ink is dry on that New Year’s list. Three months into 2018 and my priority list is all but null and void because sh*t happens and my priorities weren’t aligned with my realities, optimized in opportunities or adjusted for when life happens. By taking a look at our priorities we can make sure they’re working FOR us as hard as we’re working ON them. Instead of working hard over lackluster priorities, work smarter and be a boss when it comes to setting them effectively with these three things.
-Tailor Priorities to fit Realities
-Make the most of Unexpected Opportunities
-Readjust/Reorder Priorities Often
Tailoring Priorities to fit Realities
Just because you scribbled out a list of things you’re working to accomplish on an old piece of notebook paper, doesn’t mean that your priorities are reflecting your realities. They could just simply be reflecting your wants while ignoring your needs. If you place a priority like #1 Retire at age 40 at the top of your list while #25 Is pay off debts, then your priorities are out of wack. Stacking your priorities in the right order can help you accomplish goals faster as they account for your actual situation instead of your ideal one.
Making the most of Unexpected Opportunities
I love a good surprise opportunity.
What I don’t love is looking back on them and realizing I didn’t optimize the time and experience of the opportunity because I didn’t include my existing priorities within them. Or I didn’t adjust the priorities to fit the newfound reality of my situation. The opportunity has come and gone while my priority list is still the same sad list written on stale paper. COME ON…we can do better!
When you get an unexpected opportunity like a promotion, trip, raise or network connection; reassess how the opportunity affects your immediate reality so that you can prioritize accordingly. You may just find that one of your priorities has been completed so you can use your freed-up resources for the others on your list. Also, your new opportunity most likely comes with additional resources like time/money/networks that can help you check the boxes on the list of some of your other top priorities.
Readjusting Often
It’s important to make sure that your priorities are reflecting what you want and need; you can ensure this by readjusting your priorities often. Just because you put something as your #1 doesn’t mean you can’t drop it down to #3 once something else becomes more imperative to get done. The world is ever-changing and so are we humans, making your priorities a reflection of what’s most important to you is then expected to change often. Grab those priorities by the…uh, Never mind…just tailor, optimize and adjust to take control of those priorities like the BOSS you are.
How do you tackle your list of priorities? Comment below and Let’s Talk about it! #LetsBUILD
I appreciate this post. It is so relevant to my life right now. I never realized how important prioritizing is. I’m a huge planner and to-do-list maker. With even the most detailed list, I couldn’t figure out why I was unable to finish all the tasks listed. I later realized it’s because I didn’t have a priority list.
With all the things that we juggle in one day – work/professional life; family/personal life; health/fitness – there is no other way to be successful without having a solid set of priorities. I love how you mention that we must readjust often. It’s true. What was important yesterday may not always be important today. That’s a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.
My strategy is to have each day dedicated to one priority. For instance, my priority on Sunday is my home. I dedicate each Sunday to organizing, cleaning, laundering clothes, cooking, etc. That way, I know that I can keep on top of at least one area of my life.
Thanks for this post! I always appreciate your pearls of wisdom 🙂
I love that idea of dedicating each day to a particular priority. I came up with this post from personally going through exactly what you described; trying to figure out that even with all my ambitions and know-how, why my goals seeking felt messy. I then realized that I never did the things described in the post. Thank you for your ever insightful comments, I will be implementing some of those methods in my life as well.