Mastering the Art of Ruthless Prioritization is a Key to Peak Productivity
We’re drowning in information, overloaded and often overwhelmed by the demands for our time, attention and energy. It’s time for a reality check: Quantity ≠ Quality.
As communicators, we’re challenged to rise above the noise and focus on what truly matters. It’s time to slow down, align our work with the organization’s purpose and strategy so that we can support top priorities and business goals to drive towards key results.
Easier said than done. How do we decide what’s worthy of our time, attention and energy? How can we do less to get better results?
I believe a significant part of the answer may be found in a topic that’s often overlooked but crucial for achieving peak productivity and success: ruthless prioritization. We’re all inundated with requests, tasks and unrelenting distractions. Mastering the art of prioritization is a key to staying focused, being efficient, increasing our effectiveness and ultimately making a measurable impact that enables us to achieve desired results.
So, grab your notebook, iPad, journal or whatever note-taking tool you prefer, and let’s dive in!
Gain Perspective, Assess Your Tasks
Before you can begin prioritizing effectively, you need to gain a clear understanding of all the tasks vying for your attention. Take a moment to assess your workload, from the smallest daily tasks to the larger projects looming on the horizon.
I’m a forever fan of making lists. I used to write my list of tasks on paper. However, I often found myself spending time transferring my To Dos from one day to the next because I was always overly optimistic about what I would achieve.
Today, I leverage two apps, Nirvana HQ for personal tasks and Microsoft ToDo for work. Both apps make it easy for me to quickly capture tasks whenever they come to mind. More importantly, I can easily assign my tasks to ‘Next’ or schedule them for a specific date. I can also defer tasks to ‘Waiting on Someone,’ ‘Later’ or ‘Someday.’
By creating a comprehensive list, sometimes called a brain dump, you’ll free your mind to focus on more important things. David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done, refers to this as having “a mind like water.” You’ll also gain clarity on what needs to be accomplished and where your priorities truly lie.
Before You Begin, Ask: What tasks do I need to tackle today, this week or in the near future? What are the deadlines associated with each task, and how do they align with my overall personal and professional goals?
Being Ruthless involves Planning
Now that you’ve gained a clearer sense of what’s important, it’s time to make a plan. To improve your focus and ultimately your results, I suggest picking your “one thing” for the week and your “top three” for each day.
While I’ll reflect on and decide my “one thing” during my weekly planning session, I determine my “top three” at the start of each day. I’ve found that this approach provides a balance of aspirational achievement with the flexibility to adapt to the daily, often changing, demands of each day.
Planning Your Week
As you plan your week, set aside a specific time for uninterrupted focus.. Searching Uncle Google for “weekly planning” generates dozens of approaches. I’ve found that there are three steps to a great weekly review:
- Get Clear — Tie up any loose ends from the week before.
- Get Current – Plan the steps you need to take over the next week to advance whatever project(s) that will either facilitate progress toward a goal or that’s time sensitive.
- Get Creative — Think about and start planning things you could be doing to move your life forward.
During the process, identify the “one thing” that will significantly advance your most important goal. By concentrating solely on this main objective for the week, you’re more likely to act and make substantial progress towards achieving it, resulting in increased productivity.
Conduct a Weekly Review. As you embark on your journey to master ruthless prioritization, I encourage you to incorporate a weekly review into your routine. This practice, popularized by productivity Yoda David Allen again, is a powerful tool for maintaining clarity, focus, and momentum in your work.
Dig Deeper:
- Must Read => The Ultimate Guide to Perform a GTD Weekly Review
- Watch => How to Perform a GTD Weekly Review (Step-by-Step Guide) and download the Weekly Review Checklist
During your weekly review, take a step back to reflect on your accomplishments, reassess your priorities, and realign your actions with your overarching goals. Dive into resources from productivity experts like Asian Efficiency’s blog, where you can find invaluable insights and practical advice for optimizing your workflow and maximizing your efficiency.
By dedicating a small portion of your time each week to this routine, you’ll set yourself up for success in the days and weeks ahead. So, carve out some space on your calendar, grab your favorite beverage, and dive into your weekly review with intention and purpose. Your future self will thank you for it!
The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.
– Michael Porter, an American academic known for his theories on economics, business strategy and social causes
Planning Your Day
At the end of the previous day or first thing in the morning, I suggest choosing your “Top 3” priority tasks for the day. When all three of these tasks are marked off your list, you’ll feel great and consider it a successful day! Again, more will get done, however prioritizing your top three tasks will help you keep what’s important top of mind.
Currently, I’m experimenting with a hybrid approach to daily planning. While I keep my laundry list of tasks in apps that I use, I’m also writing my “Top 3” actions at the top of the journal I use to take meeting notes. My theory is that it’s more efficient to keep track of all my tasks digitally; however, it’s cathartic to physically write down and eventually cross off priority tasks each day.
The next evolution in my process will likely involve an iPad so that I can enjoy the benefits of both worlds. An iPad combined with the right notetaking app will enable me to write things down and digitize my notes, making them easier to read, organize and search.
Decide… Do, Delegate, Defer or Eliminate
Once you’ve assessed your tasks, it’s time to determine which ones require your direct attention and which can be delegated to others or removed from your list altogether. Remember, what gets scheduled gets done.
The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
– Stephen Covey, an American educator, author, businessman and speaker
We often think something is a priority. However, I believe a good litmus test to check if something really is a priority is to look at your calendar and your checkbook. If you’re spending or investing time and/or money on something, those items reflect your true priorities.
You may tell yourself that your family is a priority. However, if your calendar shows that you’re working late most nights and on weekends and missing opportunities to spend with family, it’s telling a different story. You may tell yourself that you value people over things. But if most of your purchases are the latest gizmo, gadget or apparel but very few outings with family or dining out with friends and loved ones, then your credit card statement is telling a different story.
By scheduling your priority tasks on your calendar, you create dedicated space to work on them, ensuring they receive the attention and energy they deserve. Delegating tasks not only frees up your time for more strategic endeavors but also empowers your team members to take ownership and develop their skills. Similarly, eliminating or postponing non-essential tasks allows you to focus your energy on what truly matters.
By dedicating time, attention and energy to your priorities, you transform your To-Do list into a Ta-Da list of accomplishments.
Questions to Ask Yourself: Which tasks can I delegate to others without sacrificing too much quality? Be ruthless! Are there any tasks that I can postpone or eliminate, making room for higher-priority activities?
There are a variety of strategies to help you decide which tasks are priority. Tim Feriss, an American entrepreneur, bestselling author, podcaster and lifestyle guru, takes the following approach when determining his priorities:
- Always prioritize relationships and skills.
- Ask, “Which of these, if done well, will make other things easier or irrelevant?”
- Excitement: Which item gets you excited?
Another approach uses a simple phrase to help you prioritize. It uses “even over” statements. Here’s how it works:
- Pick two competing priorities.
- Pick a timeframe for comparison, like this week.
- Pit those priorities against each other using the phrase “even over.”
- Evaluate each statement to determine which item carries more weight.
For example, I’ll do Task A even over Task B. Then switch it up, I’ll do Task B even over Task A. Which one feels right? The one that does is your higher priority task.
Another approach is by asking, “When faced with a trade-off, what problem do I want?” When making tough choices, some balls are bound to drop, and someone may not be happy. If you choose one thing over another, it’s often helpful to consider the consequences in advance. You’ll gain clarity by asking “what problem do I want?”
Stay Flexible and Adapt When Necessary
Priorities can shift in an instant, whether due to unexpected challenges, changing market conditions or new opportunities. To maintain your effectiveness, it’s essential to remain flexible and adaptable in your approach to prioritization.
Regularly reassess your priorities, be willing to pivot when necessary and don’t be afraid to reallocate resources to meet changing needs.
Before You Begin, Ask: What’s changed since my last planning session? Do I need to adjust my priorities? If yes, how do I need to adapt to the changing circumstances so that I remain agile in my approach to prioritization?
Parting Thought
Mastering ruthless prioritization isn’t just about getting more done; it’s about getting the right things done.
By adopting a systematic approach to prioritization, you’ll minimize distractions, maximize your efficiency and ultimately achieve greater success in both your professional and personal life. So, take charge of your priorities today and watch your productivity soar!
Inspire on!
Dig Deeper
If you found this article helpful, here’s other content you may find interesting:
- Ruthless Prioritization
- Mastering Ruthless Prioritization: A Comprehensive Guide …
- 3 Ways To Ruthlessly Prioritize What’s Important
- How to Achieve Ruthless PrioritizationWhy You’re So Busy and How to Ruthlessly Prioritize
- 1 Yes and 3 Less – A Different Way to Look at Prioritization
- Sheryl Sandberg Just Gave Some Brilliant Career Advice
- The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- 7 Habits To Start Your Day — My Morning Routine
- Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should