Sticking to priorities is always important; however, it can be especially challenging during the holiday season as there are so many demands on our time. For example, today I had a key priority that had to be completed for a client. I knew it would take substantial time, and I had been working on it for a while. I had postponed it in order to address personal priorities, and so I knew it had to be #1.
There were countless distractions, seemingly important tasks and conflicting priorities. However instead of being deterred, I stuck to my priorities, completed the project, and then went on to the numerous other demands – including this newsletter. This sounds much easier than it is to accomplish – what are tricks of the trade to stick to your priorities?
One tip to implement this week:
The great news is that most of us have far too many priorities; thus, picking an important one shouldn’t be difficult. Once we’ve chosen a top priority (do not worry about perfection; the worse case scenario is that we’ll pick an important priority vs. the most important priority), take a step back to think about your plan to complete/ address this priority. If it includes a task, plan it into your calendar. Talk in cheap; instead, start taking action.
Consider scheduling something you enjoy at a key milestone in the process. For example, I enjoy eating lunch outside, and so I might take an hour out of the schedule to go to one of my favorite restaurants as I reach a morning milestone.
Communicate your goal verbally. I committed to a particular deadline and communicated that to several folks. If I started to go off-track, not only would these folks likely help steer me back on track but they also would help hold me accountable. Find partners. Business is a team sport!
December 8, 2015