29 Oct How To Focus On Your Priorities
As we go through our busy days we are pulled in many directions. Deciding what actually priorities are, isn’t as easy as it sounds. Is it working on the project plan for your team/boss/self? Is it attending another meeting? Is it making time to exercise or getting to your child’s concert on time? Is it choosing to answer the phone or the emails? It is truly hard to decide.
Interestingly enough, the word DECIDE comes from the Latin word decidere, which literally means to cut off (from de- + caedere to cut). When you decide to do one thing you are CUTTING OFF the opportunity to do something else. No wonder this is difficult!
To help you DECIDE what your priorities are, I recommend creating a filter list. Run your options through the filter and see which items are big enough to not fall through. Here is the criteria I use for my “Must Do Today” filter:
If I don’t do it today:
- I will miss an opportunity (if I don’t sign up for that workshop today I can’t go)
- It will cost me money (if I don’t get my project to the printer I’ll have to pay rush charges)
- I will let myself down (if I don’t make time to work on my plan I will not be true to myself)
- I will let someone important to me down (I won’t fulfill my commitment)
Take a minute to write out your filter list. It makes deciding much easier and you’ll be able to clearly focus on your priorities.
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