Do you ever wake up in the morning and think: “Where did all this stuff come from? How did I get so busy?”
The answer is simple — because you’re human.
It’s impossible for anyone to be productive 100% of the time. We just aren’t wired that way! So when you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by all the things on your list, or more importantly, when you want to prevent overwhelm, ask yourself these three questions:
- Have I written down everything I need to get done?
- Have I prioritized those tasks in order of importance (not desire)?
- Have I identified which tasks can be delegated?
In this blog post we’re going to walk you through how to successfully answer these 3 questions and give you instant clarity.
Write it down
The author Tom Clancy is credited with saying, “If you didn’t write It down, it never happened!” and boy is he right.
Writing down everything that needs to get done is a must. Not only does it bring clarity to your tasks and priorities, it ensures that nothing falls through the cracks or gets pushed aside when there are other priorities at hand!
Now I know I’m preaching to the choir but as we get busier, and hopefully more successful, the more we have added to our plate. Oftentimes, this means the way we used to stay organized needs to be adjusted.
What I want you to do right now is grab a piece of paper, or your favorite planner, and jot down everything you need to get done. It doesn’t matter if it’s related to your personal or professional life- if it needs to happen, you need to write it down.
Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize
Prioritizing your to-do list in order of importance allows you to focus on the most important items first, not the easiest items to complete.
Once you have your task list written down, consider the following questions:
- What are my goals for the week/month? What do I need to accomplish?
- What tasks need to be completed to accomplish these goals?
- In order of importance (least important first): What tasks can be skipped or delayed?
Asking yourself these questions further clarifies which tasks need to be moved up on the list and which tasks can wait.
Getting it done doesn’t mean you have to do it all
Delegating work is a great way to get tasks off your list in even less time. Whether you’re looking for help with a specific project or just need someone to take over your routine tasks, there are plenty of ways to share the load without compromising quality. Here are some tips on how to delegate effectively:
Ask the right people
Identify which tasks can be delegated. It’s important to only delegate tasks that others can actually do — not ones you think they should do or want them to do, but don’t have the skills or training to complete.
Provide clear instructions
Give clear instructions with all the information needed for success. If you give clear instructions with all the information needed for success, they’ll be able to get it done without having to ask questions later.
If it’s something they haven’t done before, make sure they know what exactly needs doing and how long it will take them so that they don’t feel like it takes too much time or effort when, in reality, it does!
Conclusion
So whether it’s right now, this evening or this weekend, take some time to look at everything you need to get done, get clear on what’s most important, and what you can delegate out. Wishing you a stress-free rest of the week!