First things first – Prioritise

We are still exploring our ability to set goals and plans for a new year and hopefully we have beaten that old enemy known as anxiety.

But there is one element which needs to be considered to ensure our plans will be effective and our goals achieved.  We need to identify what is really important and how quickly we need to accomplish it.

Priorities are set based on importance and time. You might have something that does not look so important, but when you have a certain deadline for it, time becomes the reason to make it a priority.

On the other hand, you might have a plan that is very important, but you are not committed to doing it within any time frame.

How do you balance such priorities – time and importance? The answer is yours alone.  Remember these are your plans, your goals and your life.

Jot down your goals and then next to each one, try to list reasons why it would be rewarding for you to achieve such a goal. Add a number of reasons to each goal.

Review your list and then consider some goals which are not so appealing, but which you are aware have deadlines.  If you miss one of these deadlines you might be putting projects at risk or creating a situation which could get you into trouble with the law.

To illustrate this, we know that for most people, submitting their income tax return is not a priority which feels very rewarding.  But, if you don’t do it, you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of the law, owing money to the government and  setting in motion a chain reaction which can eventually compromise your financial standing and credit rating.

Go back to reviewing your list.  Twenty items cannot be considered as priorities,  so cut the list down to a maximum of eight priorities, to be accomplished over three to five months.

As you achieve or complete some of the items, you can certainly add more to your list, but never compromise quality and efficiency for speedy completion.

This tip works for every “To Do List” you will create.  Learn to prioritise and you will find that besides being efficient, it saves time.