How to Prioritize

How to Prioritize and Get Things Done

These days, knowing how to prioritize is a critical skill that any person needs if they intend to succeed.  There simply aren’t enough hours in a day to get things done unless key organization strategies are set into place to keep on track.  This process begins with an comprehension of what actually needs to get done, but then relies on knowing to prioritize so that each of the necessary tasks are accomplished properly and on time.

Everything that you need to achieve has a certain urgency level associated with it.  This urgency is determined by many different factors, from a deadline, to a task’s place among steps that need to be taken in a certain order.   Knowing how to prioritize means that you acknowledge the urgency level of each task and then schedule its completion based on that urgency.

Making a List 

As you improve the way you prioritize, you need to start by making a list of everything that you need to get done.  This can be a daily list, weekly, monthly, or even for a full year.  It should include tasks of all size; anything that takes up your time. 

Deciding what comes first 

The key to improve the way to prioritize is knowing what should come first.  Have a look at your list of tasks.  The easiest parts of your list to use are those that have the shortest time limits.  If it was due yesterday but it isn’t finished, it should obviously top your list. 

Knowing how you impact others 

Once you’ve added the urgent elements to your list based on how long you have to complete them, have a look at the way that the tasks you complete will impact the ability of others to do their own jobs.  For example, if one of your tasks is to come up with numbers that someone else needs to be able to do their work, then you will need to complete that task as soon as possible because someone else is relying on you for their own ability to meet deadlines. 

Understanding the consequences 

Have a look at the tasks that you need to accomplish.  If there are two that appear to have equal importance, then deciding how to prioritize them may come down to the consequences of completing one before the other.  For example, if you don’t complete one task, you may need to work late, but if you don’t complete another task, you could lose an important client, then you need to decide with which consequences you will be able to better manage. 

Considering the incentives 

After you examine the consequences, don’t forget to think about the positive aspects of completing one task over another.  For example, if completing a task early will mean that you could receive a raise or a promotion, then that should likely mean that it will be moved up in its importance on your list. 

Putting procrastination behind you 

Everyone has those tasks or projects that don’t have any true urgency, but that still need to get done.  Those are the jobs that always seem to slide down to the bottom of the list and never seem to be completed.  They simply don’t have the same pressure attached to them.  However, as long as they dangle there at the bottom of your to-do list, they will continue to take away from your ability to spend time on more critical matters.  After all, when you’re choosing between finishing your month-end reports or cleaning out the fridge, the refrigerator doesn’t have a lot of urgency associated with it.  However, the longer you wait, the more time that less important task will take to complete when you do get down to it. 

Therefore, one of the important parts of prioritization also includes making sure that those low-urgency tasks do find their way to completion.  Toss them in any moment that you have to spare.  Don’t try to do them all at once (unless you find yourself with a surprising amount of time).  Instead, include them among the more critical tasks on occasion so that you will, slowly but surely, put them behind you.

With this understanding of how you need to prioritize, you’ll find that you keep yourself effectively on track and will always have your tasks completed on time.  You’ll also have the peace of mind of knowing that even if you couldn’t complete the last task on your daily list, it was the project that had the lowest priority, and will therefore have the least amount of impact on you tomorrow.