This blog was written by Kellie Manderfeld Certified Life Coach, a member of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, as a part of our Thought Leadership Highlights series. To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Chamber is spotlighting women professionals and woman-owned businesses in our community.
When we look back at our lives most of us will not want to say we were busy, or we completed our to-do lists. We will want to look back and say we engaged in meaningful activities that were fulfilling. There are any number of activities that can occupy our day. It is possible to stay quite busy and never attend to the things that are most important to our success and happiness. “Prioritize before you decide” is a helpful rule of thumb when it comes to maximizing your time and meeting your objectives. The following steps can help with identifying and incorporating priorities.
Recognize the difference between “to-do” and priorities. There are many things we do on a daily and weekly basis, but they are not all priorities. Stop and take a moment to look over all the things you do or plan to do. Ask yourself some questions.
- Is there a deadline to meet?
- Is someone else depending on this task being completed?
- Does this step need to be completed in order to move on to the next?
- Will engaging in this task help move you forward in a goal you are trying to achieve?
Create a plan that includes your priorities. If you do not take steps to intentionally include priority activities, other things will inevitably and quickly fill the space.
- Each day, include at least one activity that is related to your goal. Even if it is small, it will get you closer to your goal than doing nothing at all.
- Organize your daily calendar to address things with deadlines first, before other tasks overtake your day.
- Be aware of what steps need to be taken first to avoid having to stop and back track.
Evaluate the impact of the things you choose to do. Time is too limited to waste it on things that are not working for you. If you are incorporating activities that are supposed to move your goals forward, make sure you are actually moving forward.
- Know in advance how an activity is supposed to benefit you.
- Set a deadline for how long or how many times you are going to engage in that activity before the desired outcome is achieved.
- Decide how frequently you are going to check in and self-evaluate.
- Be ready to make changes when things are not working as planned. If any activity is not benefiting you, it is no longer a priority.
Whether we are working towards individual or group goals, a focus on priorities is integral to success. “Prioritize before you decide” to maximize how you allocate your time. Stay aware and intentional and you will achieve your goals.