3 Tips for the Dreaded P-word

Priorities exist even if you do not acknowledge them.  Often we say certain things are priorities, but in reality, our actions, time, and money speak differently.  I can remember a story that Dave Ramsey told one time.  He was sitting in on an organization’s business meeting, and they were going over the budget.  He kept hearing people mention that the kid’s in this organization were the most important thing.  Eventually, he showed them that their money betrayed their words.  The youth fund had the smallest amount dedicated to it.  Truth is that we have all done this before.  So, how do you set priorities and keep them?

Write it Down

The dullest number two pencil is still sharper than most minds.  When you write things down, it brings them into focus.  Dawson Trotman put it this way, “Thoughts disentangle themselves passing over the lips or through the pencil tips.”  I know writing is so 19^th Century, so you can type if you prefer.  That is what I do.  I find that I am much more effective when I type my task list.  I use a website called, www.rememberthemilk.com.

Prioritize Your List

After you make your task list, it is very helpful to prioritize them.  There are multiple systems for doing this.  The easy way of explaining this, is to tell you to rate your entire list in order of importance.  You start working on the most important and consider delegating a few tasks at the bottom of the list.  As you do this every day, you will see ways that you can improve this system.  You may find that you include way too many details on your list, or you may find that you include way too little.  Feel free to experiment.

Extra Credit

I must confess, I have never done this, but I can see where it would be beneficial.  I have read a few books and articles on time management that highly suggest it.  The extra credit is for you to write down every single thing you do in one day.  The goal is to help you see where you waste time.  I remember one book suggesting that you do this for an entire week, and include your task list after the first day.  This helps you to see how much more productive you are with a prioritized task list.  Another benefit is that after determining your values, you can see if the time you spend is matching your desires.  For example, the work-a-holic who says their family is important, will see just how much time they don’t spend with them. 

Prioritizing is like keeping a budget of your time.  It is a plan.  It is a target.  Successful people know the importance of all these.  Break your Nature by budgeting your time—time is the most valuable thing you own. 

Nick Massey is a Life Coach, Speaker, and Writer.  To read more from Nick Massey, or to schedule him for a Life Coaching session, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at http://www.coachmassey.com. © 2014 Nick Massey