Getting Your Priorities in Order
As I sit down to tackle my ever-growing to-do list, I can’t help but recall a quote from former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower: “I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed or like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all those important and urgent things done, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll explore the art of prioritising tasks and scheduling them on your digital calendar.
The Magic of Prioritisation
Imagine your to-do list as a buffet table filled with scrumptious dishes. If you try to devour everything at once, you’ll end up with a stomach ache and probably not enjoy the meal. Similarly, trying to do too much all at once can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Prioritisation is like selecting the most mouthwatering items from the buffet, savouring each bite, and leaving the rest for later. Let’s look at a few methods of doing this.
The Eisenhower Matrix: Urgency vs Importance
Yep, it’s our friend Eisenhower again. A simple yet effective tool, the Eisenhower Matrix categorises tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Start by identifying your most critical tasks (urgent and important) and tackle those first. Then, move on to the important but not urgent ones. This method helps you focus your energy where it matters most.
The key to this method is recognising the distinction between urgency and importance. Important tasks are those that align with the goals you have in your role and contribute to your professional and personal growth. On the other hand, urgent tasks demand your immediate attention but may not necessarily serve your own objectives—ironically, they’re often more about other people’s goals.
Using this understanding, divide your to-do list into those four categories:
Important and Urgent
These tasks deserve top priority. They require immediate attention and directly contribute to your goals.
Important but Not Urgent
These tasks are equally crucial but lack the urgency of the first category. Make sure to allocate time for them to prevent them from becoming urgent later, when time may be more limited.
Not Important but Urgent
These tasks might seem pressing, but they don’t align with your goals. Consider rescheduling them or delegating them to someone else.
Neither Important nor Urgent
If a task falls into this category, it’s time to let it go. These tasks simply waste your time.
In a nutshell: If a task is important, make time for it, preferably before it becomes urgent. If it’s not important, consider dropping it from your list or delegating it if you possibly can.
The Action Priority Matrix
Similar to the Eisenhower Method, this technique involves evaluating tasks based on their value and effort required. Take each task on your list and give it two ratings each on a scale of 1 to 10, one rating for value (i.e. how important it is to you) and a rating for effort (how hard it is to do). This will help you create an Action Priority Matrix, visually categorising your tasks into four quadrants:
Quick Wins
These are high-value, low-effort tasks. Focus on completing as many of these as possible to build momentum.
Major Projects
These tasks are high in both value and effort. Allocate time for them, but don’t let them overshadow your quick wins.
Fill-Ins
Low-value, low-effort tasks can be done when you have spare time, but consider delegating or eliminating them if they distract from more valuable work.
Thankless Tasks
Tasks that are low in value but high in effort should be removed from your list whenever possible, as they drain your resources without substantial returns.
Paired Comparison Analysis
If you’re stuck between multiple tasks and need to consider various factors like importance, urgency, effort, and the number of people relying on you, a Paired Comparison Analysis can help.
Assign a letter to each task and create a table with these tasks as both row and column headings. Then, compare each task to every other task, assigning a score between 0-3 based on the difference in importance. A score of 0 means no difference, while 3 indicates a significant difference.
Add up the scores for each letter. The letter with the highest score is the most important and should be prioritised.
Decision Matrix Analysis
When you face multiple tasks with various features to consider, like importance, urgency, effort, or other factors, a Decision Matrix Analysis comes to your rescue. Create a table with tasks listed vertically and factors horizontally, and score each task for each factor (0-10 rating). Add up the scores for each task to identify the task with the highest score, which should become your top priority.
The 2-Minute Rule
Regardless of which of these methods you use, if a task can be completed in two minutes or less, do it immediately rather than add it to your todo list. This small habit can help you clear your plate of minor tasks, leaving you more time and mental space for the bigger ones.
Meet Your Digital Calendar
Now that you’ve mastered the art of prioritisation let's talk about how to get them into your calendar.
Start with the Big Rocks: Just like filling a jar with big rocks first before adding pebbles and sand, schedule your high-priority tasks at the beginning of the day or week. These are your “big rocks”, the essential tasks that move the needle in your life and career.
Time Blocking: As we regularly talk about, divide up your day into blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks, projects or routines. This technique not only helps you stay organised but also prevents multitasking, which can decrease productivity.
Set Realistic Time Estimates: Be honest with yourself about how long tasks will take. Overestimating or underestimating can lead to stress and derail your schedule. If a task usually takes an hour, allocate an hour for it in your calendar.
Include Buffer Time: Life is unpredictable, and tasks often take longer than expected. Leave some buffer time between appointments and tasks to account for these unforeseen delays.
Time for Planning
Now, if you’re wondering “when do I actually have time to do all this task analysis and calendar scheduling”, then you’re not alone. You need to have some kind of recurring planning time in your calendar, whether it’s last thing on a Friday and/or first thing on a Monday (or even late on Sunday evening—maybe a topic for a future post).
Embrace Flexibility
While prioritising tasks and scheduling them is essential, it’s equally important to embrace flexibility. Life can throw curveballs, and being too rigid in your schedule can lead to frustration. Be willing to adapt and adjust as needed while keeping your high-priority tasks at the forefront.
Reflect and Adjust
Lastly, make time for regular reflection. At the end of the day or week, review your accomplishments and identify areas for improvement. Did you stick to your priorities? Did you underestimate the time required for certain tasks? Use these insights to fine-tune your approach in the future.