FRAMEWORKS FOR SETTING PRIORITIES

People set priority in so many ways; most people simply consider any task as unpleasant and keep pushing it aside for a later date. Those people are procrastinators.

Some set of people thrive on accomplishment. They need a stream of small victories to enable them to get through the day.

There are some others who are analytic in nature. They need to know that they are working on the important thing possible at the moment so that they can keep getting motivated.

An adage says, if you wake up in the morning and eat a frog, you can go through anything that day knowing the worst possible thing has happened to you.

Most times, when we are setting priorities for our tasks, we often forget what’s most important.

Sometimes the task that wins the number one on the priority list will turn out to be not too important or irrelevant.

Instead of just working based on the urgency of each task, take time to evaluate which activity would bring the highest reward.

You might have come across many articles on setting priorities, but most of them have not been of use to you (because that’s not what you’re looking for).

Well, this post will equip you with two actionable frameworks for setting priorities. It will also enhance your everyday decision-making.

The Secret of “One Year From Now”

This is one method that I’ve used times and times over, and it has helped me a lot. The idea behind this is that you simply picture yourself a year older.

Imagine you are a year older, and you’ve achieved some of your goals. Now, try to imagine which achievement led to achieving your goals. What went wrong and what went right? Were there particularly rewarding activities that helped you to move at a faster pace towards achieving these one-year goals?

If you’re able to picture this in your mind, your chances of making the right choices will improve drastically.

Check out the classic details of how to set priority in this book >> Success Express Lane

The Secret of “Think Backward”

When prioritizing tasks, you’re usually faced with a list of activities, and you are trying to figure out which one is more important. Anytime you’re in a situation like this, consider to explore this to help jumpstart a single (new) task that you consider your top priority.

For instance, it might be important to submit a drafted proposal at the end of the day. To ensure this is really the most important one, start to compare it with the other tasks that you have on your priority list.

Also, think about their long-term rewards and every set of outcomes that would result from each activity and ensure that your current number one priority is actually the most important.

By evaluating the potential outcome of each task and working backward, you will be able to realize what is truly relevant to your goals.