Less is more: get more done by prioritising
Don’t have enough time to do everything?
Overworked?
Juggling so many balls you are 20% of the way through 10 different things and not sure when you will complete anything?
This is VERY common. I see action plans all the time that have 20 different actions or initiatives in progress. How the hell can one person work on 20 different things at once? You can’t! It is not humanly possible.
A human brain can only perform one cognitive function at a time. Breathing is a non-cognitive function. It takes time and energy to switch between cognitive functions, which results in inefficiencies.
We often attempt to work on several things at once. Sometimes up to 20 or more. In the end, we barely complete anything. We end up frustrated or burned out. It doesn’t have to be this way. Take control. Set priorities, and focus on only one thing at a time.
This is what I see a lot:
We chop and change tasks or activities, then rush to complete everything before the deadline at year-end. Throughout the year, we show progress on these things as 25% for Q1, 50% for Q2, 75% for Q3, and 100% for Q4.
But what if we did it like this?:
We have done the highest priority activity 1st and completed it in the first quarter. Then moved on to 2nd highest priority to completion, then 3rd, then 4th. Wouldn’t you feel good knowing that you’re completing stuff throughout the year? It will save time and energy, reduce stress, and give you some wins to celebrate along the way.
Another way to look at it is like this:
You’ve worked on 10 different initiatives throughout the year. At the end of the year, how much have you completed? Nothing! Not a thing.
But what if you did priority A to completion first, then priority B, then C, and so on? While you might not complete everything by the end of the year, you will have completed the highest priority initiatives.
Remember the 80|20 rule: 80% of results come from 20% of the effort.
In the example above, Priority E came to a roadblock. While the roadblock was being cleared, we moved in to Priority F. But as soon as the roadblock was cleared, we moved back to Priority E and continued on. At the end of the year, we completed the four highest priority things.
I recommend you prioritise your actions and initiatives so that they are in sequence. Number them from 1 to 20, or A to Z, or any other system you can come up with that you can follow. Then follow the sequence. It’s that easy and will change your life.
I’d love to hear your comments on this. Is this how you work now? Have you given it a try? Please share your experiences.
Mark Perrett