Setting Priorities

Choosing which things are the most important to work on is a vital skill for effective time use, as well as making the most of your life by planning purpose and choosing goals. To make a plan for the day, look at your calendar and to do list, and first get the urgent DAM CRAP out of the way, then consider which VIP AIMS contribute the most impact and engagement. The Effect Priority Matrix of the Priority Flowchart compares these two important elements.

Before scheduling items in your task management system, look for Very Important Priorities with UNITE:

• Urgent: start with any DAM CRAP that must be done: Deadlines, Appointments, and Meetings, Crises, Required routine tasks, Agenda items, or Problems (Time Management Matrix) These are often Unpleasant “frogs” that have to be done (Brian Tracy says to Hop to It!)
• Notable VIP AIMS that are Important: VIP AIMS are vital to values, increase happiness, and pursue purpose – things like building relationships and taking steps toward goals – remember to include them!
• Increase Impact with activities that create: bold change, impressive influence, or great movement (Effect Matrix)
• Target HIGH Engagement with activities that: Harness strengths, Ignite imagination, Grow and develop skills, and Have intrinsic rewards.
• Extend a satisfying Return on Investment (ROI): provide many benefits vs. the costs of achievemnt.

Four ways to TEST top priorities:

• Time Management Matrix
• Effect Matrix
• Satisfying Return on Investment
• The 80/20 rule

Time Management Matrix (aka Eisenhower Matrix)

First Things First @wikipedia

The time management matrix from the book “First Things First” by Stephen R Covey is a well-known tool to set priorities. It is sometimes called an Eisenhower Matrix.

• Quadrant I (important and urgent): Start with the DAM CRAP: Deadlines, Appointments, Meetings, Crises, Required repeating tasks, recurring and routine tasks, Agenda items, or Problems – Do It!
• Quadrant II (important but not urgent): goals, planning, exercise, personal development, and relationship building – Plan It!
• Quadrant III (urgent but not important): AVOID Aimless busywork, Very unimportant meetings, emails, and calls, Others priorities, Interruptions, Distractions – Decrease It!
• Quadrant IV (not urgent and not important): TRIVIA: Television, Random avoidance, Idle time wasters, Videos (TickTock, Youtube), Impulsive gaming, Addictive social media – Drop It!

1. Do It Now

Ask which tasks…

• must be done right now?
• will fit the amount of time available now?
• will fit the amount of energy available now?

2. Plan It!

• are VIP AIMS that are vital to values, increase well-being, or pursue purpose?
• need more planning?
• can be added to schedule?

3. Decrease It

• can be diminished or delegated?

4. Drop It

• can be deleted or eliminated?

The Effect Matrix compares impact and engagement. Read more about it at the Priority Flowchart.

Satisfying Return on Investment. Weigh the time, energy, or other resources required vs. the benefits of accomplishment to decide whether it is an idea or task is worth doing. Julie Morgenstern’s Return on Investment considers: deadlines, estimated time, and steps to results.

RESOURCES
Size – how big is it? How many steps are required? Are there many obstacles?
Time – how long will it take to complete? Is there a deadline? When to begin?
Energy – how much effort is needed? How much work will it be?
Access – does it require collaboration with other people? Tools or a workspace?
Money – how much will it cost?

RETURN
Gain – will it add growth, align with values and advance goals? increase efficiency or knowledge?
Revenue – will it generate a financial return?
Appeal – is it something you or others really desire?
Impact – will it make a large difference?
Needs met – will it add value by meeting needs?

The 80/20 rule (aka Pareto principle) – 80% of results come from 20% of actions.

Always use the time you have well. The Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule says that 80% of the output or results will come from 20% of the input or action. Jim Temme in the book “Productivity Power” says that we spend about 80 percent of our day working on job description activities (what I think of as repeating tasks) that yield only 20 percent results. The challenge is to use the remaining 20 percent of discretionary time on goal-related activities that yield 80 percent results. See more about the Pareto Principle at Measuring Productivity and the Pareto Principle Illustrated.

To select priorities for planning goals and purpose, it is especially important to consider VIP AIMS and the factors of impact and engagement with The Effect Priority Matrix.

Download a free pdf that outlines Priorities and Purpose Planning.

More SMART techniques to set priorities for the day

Your day has begun. How should you choose where to begin with your To Do List? A few more methods for choosing priorities:

• Sweet spot matrix – compares impact and effort
• Most Important Tasks (MITs) – from Leo Babauta at Zen Habits
• ABC method – A=MUST do, B=SHOULD do, C=COULD do
• Rocks – big rocks (things that matter most) first from Stephen R Covey
• Target values – your guiding principles

The Sweet Spot is the place where tasks have high impact and require low effort. They provide a quick win. Plan for tasks that have high impact but require high effort by breaking them down into smaller steps. Of course, some worthwhile goals do require effort and even pain and sacrifice. Remember the Economy of Goals which means that goals are more likely to be accomplished if the benefits outweigh the resources that are required to obtain it. [UPDATE: see the new Priority Flowchart post with the Effect Priority Matrix, which exchanges engagement for effort. Effort is included as a cost in considering Return on Investment]

Most Important Tasks (MITs) from blogger Leo Babauta at Zen Habits is the simplest way. Another simple method is The 1 – 3 – 5 Rule from the Muse: 1 big thing, 3 medium, 5 little.

The ABC method from Alan Lakein (or ABCDE from Brian Tracy):

• A-important tasks that contribute to goals MUST do
• B-moderately important SHOULD do
• C-least important COULD do

Rocks – Stephen R Covey illustrates the importance of putting your big rocks (things that matter most) first in this video, (4:01) Big rocks include roles like family, work, community, etc.

Target Values

Perhaps one of the best ways to set priorities is to maintain a focus on the values that are your guiding principles with a value statement that clarifies what you do and why. Remember to include your goals and projects when it’s time to schedule tasks. A time audit shows how you actually are spending your time. Understand the value of time and plan to use it well.

The Important can so easily get lost in the deluge of distractions in everyday life. Time squandered on the unimportant is lost forever, and no longer available for what matters most. Always Be Checking in with yourself if you are spending time on what you really think is important. Learn more about how to use time productively with the Time Management 101 tutorial.

GREAT priority tasks:
Give high impact
Requirements that are urgent
Extend a good return on investment
Are important: VIPs = vital to values, increase happiness, and pursue purpose
Target what really matters most

Resources

• A Dynamic Card Sort for identifying priorities.
• The Matrix of Self-Management at Facile Things.
• Capturing that Elusive Thing Called Time at orgcoach.net
• the Matrix Time Chart (pdf) based on Stephen R Covey’s Time Management Matrix, to track activities within the four quadrants.
• Brian Tracy on Setting Priorities.

More tools to stay on task

• Scheduling with Time Blocking and Focus Themes.
• Reminders to increase awareness of time passing. (I love the blip blip app)
• Tools from David Seah.

Always ask: “What is the best use of my time right now?” -Alan Lakein

See 10 minutes 10 questions for productivity

About dailyplanit

I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.

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