Time Management: Priorities

You can set your priorities in two ways:

According to urgency. Some things must be done immediately. If you wait too long, it may be too late to do some of these tasks. Try to gradually reduce the number of urgent, crisis response actions.
According to importance. Some tasks must be done before others, while some can wait until a better time comes along. For long-term, important projects, try to do one part at a time.

After you have worked on goals and priorities, think about making a plan for using your time. Make a list of everything you might do. Then make a “To Do” list, with tasks ranked in order of importance. This serves as a guide for your daily activities.

Remember that urgent matters are usually easy to see. They are right in front of us and are hard to ignore. Frequently they are pleasant, exciting, or fun to do. They are popular with others; you feel good when you have done them. But all too often, these things to do are not very important, and do not help you move toward your long-term goals.

Think carefully when planning your time use. Don’t waste your time on unimportant things; even when they seem urgent.

Importance has to do with results. Some examples of important matters that are not urgent might be: relationship building, personal care and recreation, problem prevention, recognizing new opportunities, and educational activities. Take some time on a regular basis to plan ways to work on important things.

To continue, click here: Time Management: Course of Action Leader Activity