Random Observation/Comment #429: I feel old when interns tell me they want to be like me when they grow up. I still haven’t grown up yet. Right? … Maybe? #usinghashtagstostayyoung
Let’s say you’re like me and you love making task lists in the morning to know what to expect to get done by the end of the day. Now what? What do you do first? What if someone gives you a new task? How do you hone your field of awareness so you don’t just get stuck only doing the thing in front of you? The key is prioritization.
I prioritize based on Importance and Urgency:
| Very Important; Not UrgentLong term goals that you’re working towards. I usually put something in my calendar to block off time and work on this for a full hour. | Very Important; Very UrgentDo this stuff first. Someone is waiting on you for it. Could be a system outage. Could be from your DIR or front office trader. |
| Not Important; Not UrgentI try to delegate this to someone else or find time in the early morning to clear these out. This could be mandatory eLearning or filling out timesheets. It may not take much time, but little things add up. | Not Important; Very UrgentDon’t mistaken urgency for importance. It’s easy for someone to ask you for something immediately, but you can find time for this later if it’s not important. If it’s from someone important, then it would be moved up to very important. |
I use this mainly for work, but it goes just as well for your personal life. It’s good to know what you can delegate and what you need to block off time to do.
For work, if the matrix is too complicated, try my straight-forward prioritization:
- Front office asks for it
- DIR asks for it
- Due tomorrow
- Direct manager asks for it
- You are a bottleneck for this task
For personal, I tend to be more laid back and enjoy the moment. I split different times for planning/preparation, and then when I’m doing/delivering, I try to stay in the moment. Embrace the now. Be there with people you love and share the stories and memories to form deeper connections with your community.
So in personal life, the priority becomes the importance of community and achieving other people’s goals at the same time as your own. That’s where I’d spend my time… being with others.
~See Lemons Prioritize
