Getting up for work in the morning with the feeling of having so much to do that you do not know where to start— we have all been there. Oftentimes, everything that you have to do seems like a priority, which makes it tough to figure out where to begin.
In order to move the ball forward, you need to start somewhere. Here are some planning tactics that are helpful when you need to set your mind on immediate execution. Although long-term prioritisation and planning is also essential, these techniques help you make progress on the micro-level, day-to-day basis.
Make a list: First thing in the morning, write down everything that needs to get done that day. Once you have everything down, separate the items into urgent versus non-urgent to determine the top priorities.
Assess the value: Completing certain tasks will offer more benefit than others. For example, client work comes before internal work because it not getting done has bigger ramifications.
Be honest: When creating your list of priorities, be realistic about your bandwidth. Setting unattainable goals will only cause disappointment down the road.
Be flexible: To be able to effectively prioritise, you must be able to deal with changing priorities. Take them as they come and decide if they are urgent or not.
Cut the cord: When something is really important, it is easy to get caught up in the details and end up spending way too much time on a project or task. Spending too much time on one priority, however, prevents you from getting other stuff knocked off your list. Acknow-ledge when you are doing this and enforce strict deadlines to prevent going down the rabbit hole. — Agencies
