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What are some ways to prioritize?

17 Answers
Last Updated: 02/22/2022 at 7:33am
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Top Rated Answers
Profile: LCL
LCL
January 17th, 2015 2:21am
I like to spend five minutes first thing in the morning to plan ahead for the day and write in my journal what things should be done during the day. Then I will re-order them based on their importance or urgency level, and commit to work on the list from top to bottom. It makes me feel really productive that I know I'm not just spending all of my time for a bunch of trivial stuff, and that I'm getting the important things done. At the end of the day, if I manage to finish all of the things in my list (I usually do, since this helps with time management) I feel a huge sense of satisfaction from it.
Anonymous
January 15th, 2015 6:34am
Draw up a list of everything you need to do, then reorder the list based on what is due when, with a subdivision being either easiest to hardest, or break larger tasks into pieces.
Profile: Hopefulhealing
Hopefulhealing
June 2nd, 2015 3:05am
To do list, list of what is important then the to do list. Time management, and regardless of your priority always make sure you prioritize yourself in midst of everything.
Profile: PoliteOcean
PoliteOcean
September 6th, 2015 12:16am
Everyone is different. But there are ways you can go about trying to prioritize things. Such ways to start are taking baby steps and making lists of what you want vs. what you need. And take it from there.
Profile: SunFern
SunFern
January 9th, 2017 6:49am
Prioritizing is all about knowing what you really want and what you actually believe. It surely does involve confusion and questions within oneself. But taking time is one effective way because with time, many things become clearer by itself. Also you please don't be disheartened if you have to go through some trial and error process. After all, without failing and falling in some stages in life, none of us can grow, become better. :)
Anonymous
February 10th, 2016 10:09am
[| Make a list - Make a list of your strengths, competencies and assets is a way of seeing a different you in the mirror.  [| Make a list II - A list of realistic and achievable goals and dreams, a list of what is keeping you from achieving it, and a list of methods to work around it and accomplish your goals.  [| Make a list III - Each morning make a list of the things you have achieved, it can be as simple as “Woke Up, Got out of Bed, Ate Breakfast etc.” - this will help you understand your accomplishments during the day and give yourself more credit for these small, influential feats.  Prioritise the jobs that have the closest deadlines, or require the greatest amount of work. When you're confident in your abilities and have a strong understanding of your project you will know how to decide which job is more important than the other..
Profile: UnderstandingEars2252
UnderstandingEars2252
February 22nd, 2022 7:33am
Well, you just compare and contrast. I would prioritize this issue like this. Should I pay the rent, yes! That is the mature thing to do.. Then realize you are in the dessert and you are broken down, luckily just overheated. You then realize you are ill due to sun exposure. Now it's paying rent or getting water and not dying. What do you do? I know this is an extreme thought, but hopefully you understand the concept. Figure out what you need in the short term to survive and the rest is irrelevant. In the scenario and in prioritizing you are basically just figuring out what you need the most and recognizing those changes. I hope you benefit from this post and if not thats ok too I am just hoping you find a solution.
Profile: Atreju
Atreju
December 23rd, 2019 12:22pm
If you need to decide what to to and what to leave (for the moment) I ask the following questions: 1. Do I really need to do this?/Does it make sense? What's the driver? 2. Is there anyone who could do this better than I can (e. g. helping someone > is there an expert?) 3. What actions generate additional options in the future? 4. Where can I learn or experience something new/helpful? 5. What actions are an investment (do I need to go through something now to earn later)? 6. What needs to be done not to get into trouble? Make Kanban-Board with 4 columns: new, to do, work in progress, done). Write a keyword for each topic on a sticky note. Put the most important items in top (in the column "New". Move them from left (new) to right (done) as you work through your items. Celebrate each time you put something in "Done".
Profile: Rellen2013
Rellen2013
June 26th, 2018 7:34am
you can write down all of the things that you would like to do and the things you need to do...then write all the things that you need to do with a few things that you would like to do as a reward for accomplishing things that you needed to do....then write a daily itinerary...for every day write a reasonable amount of things that you needed to do with a thing you like to do at the bottom as a reward for doing all of things that you needed to for that day
Profile: Teddy522
Teddy522
June 12th, 2017 1:07am
Making lists, sticky notes, action plans. Scribbling down everything you need to do on some paper and them putting them in a list from highest priority, to lowest can give you a way of prioritizing.
Profile: gracefulWillow49
gracefulWillow49
September 19th, 2016 10:32pm
Write. It. Down. I've learned that when it's all in my head, I have trouble managing all my priorities and goals. Once you see them, you know what you're working with. Also, I love to color code things. Right now my homework is pink, my study sessions/task are green, and my personal events are purple! It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just find a way that you find fun and enjoyable to prioritize. Don't think that just because you don't have to worry about one thing for another month that your shouldn't be jotting it down. Write it all down. The longer it stays in your head, the more opportunities it has to keep you awake at night and punch you in the brain during lunch.
Profile: Greatlistener87
Greatlistener87
- Expert in Work Stress
September 6th, 2016 6:51am
Have a schedule for everything. Write them down so that you don't forget. If it is too much for you to handle don't feel ashamed to admit that you need help.
Profile: HopefulJet61
HopefulJet61
November 9th, 2015 2:28am
This is a great question! My go to is buying notepads or journals and setting up List!:) Having a list will help you see your task and whenever you complete one scratch it out! Technology has taken over but keeping a journal or agenda book has been a huge way to stay on top of things!
Profile: uniquePresence20
uniquePresence20
September 8th, 2015 1:54am
According to "How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life" by Alan Lakein, make a list of everything you are thinking of doing or would like to do. Then categorize your list by A, B, and C. Where A tasks are the things you have or want to do first, and B tasks are less important and the C tasks are just the day to day routines. Be careful to re-prioritize your list from time to time. In Example: if taking out the garbage is a C task, but your wife says she will leave you if you don't do it, then you may want to bump that up to an A priority task.
Profile: LauraMSW87
LauraMSW87
September 7th, 2015 1:32pm
Like what everyone else has suggested, I am a big fan of lists. The act of writing out a list and physically re-ordering it can help you organize your mind for the day. I also find that writing things down helps me remember things. Having that written list right there to look at can be a helpful reminder to help you manage your time. One of the best ways to prioritize is to figure out what tasks absolutely have to get done today/this morning and order those at the very top of the list. Then follow that with the tasks that need to be done tomorrow/this afternoon, followed by the tasks that are due by the end of the week/end of next week/by a certain deadline further into the future. You can also keep a side sub-category for personal to-do items that can be done on lunch or during down time. You can use different colors of ink or use a highlighter to denote the most important tasks. I also find it helpful to use outlook or similar computer program to provide visual reminder pop-ups 15 minutes-an hour prior to a meeting or other deadline. Again, I really like having things written out to help me remember. Cross off the items you complete as you finish. Looking at your list at the end of the day and remembering the amount of time and effort that went into each crossed-off item can help you feel a sense of accomplishment. There are various free programs you can download for your computer that will help you do the same things described above electronically as well.
Profile: HealingLotus
HealingLotus
May 5th, 2015 6:30am
You can make a list, or write thing on a piece of paper. Things you find important, write them big, and other small. You can also do this with color.
Anonymous
February 10th, 2015 7:51pm
Prioritization presupposes an advantage to the ordering of items. Where no such advantage exists, order is inconsequential. Having said that, one prioritizes according to one's, well, priorities. Priorities are reflect one's values and objectives. So, if the driving force is time, then one prioritizes based on which tasks must be started if not completed ahead of other tasks or those requiring the most or the least amount of time. If the priority is risk avoidance, then one evaluates the relative risks - called risk analysis - among the choices and orders accordingly. The challenge comes when there are conflicting priorities. Then, one must first prioritize one's priorities before getting down to, er, prioritizing. If all this sounds too confusing or pointless, then perhaps someone else should be assigned the task of prioritizing. In a pinch, there's always "eeny meeny miny moe" or the Mother Goose "One potato, two potato..".