How to prioritise tasks when everything feels urgent...

It often seems like our to-do lists are endless. Yes, even mine, despite the fact one of my key 'sell's is I help you get to the bottom of your to-do list. With various tasks demanding our attention, it can be challenging to decide which to tackle first. So, I've pulled all my expertise into this blog to help walk you through a simple process to prioritise your tasks effectively, helping you focus on what truly matters.

Understanding the urgency trap

When every task appears urgent, we tend to react to the loudest demands rather than to the most crucial ones. This can create stress and lead to burnout - so build yourself a prioritisation strategy.

The first step is recognising the difference between urgency and importance. Urgent tasks require immediate attention, while important tasks contribute to your long-term goals. For instance, responding to an urgent email may seem pressing, but preparing for an upcoming presentation may be more critical for your career advancement. Knowing this distinction allows you to manage your time better.

Step 1: Brain Dump

Begin by writing down everything you need to do, list out all the tasks swimming around in your head. Include personal and professional tasks in this list, use different colours if it helps you. The act of writing helps declutter your mind and gives you a visual overview of your responsibilities. This exercise will clarify what needs your attention immediately and what can wait.

I tend to take the brain dump one step further, and colour coordinate. Think giant piece of paper (A1, or multiple A4 taped together), tacked to a wall or door. Depending on my mood, and how swampy my brain is feeling, I'll brain dump in one of a few ways:

• Colour coorindated by Client, StephVA, home, friends or family, and spilt into 3 columns for long + high effort, long, or quick easy win.

• Grouped by Client etc, neatly written out

• Anything as it comes to me, colour coordinated by Client etc., or different bullet points for each if the colours aren't nearby

(Can you tell I use to be a Primary School teacher!)

Step 2: Categorise your tasks

Next, categorise your tasks based on urgency and importance. The Eisenhower Matrix is an effective tool for this.

1. Urgent and Important: Do these tasks immediately. For example, resolving a client issue that could lead to a lost sale.

2. Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these tasks. This could be planning for a team meeting next week.

3. Urgent but Not Important: If possible, delegate these tasks. An example might be answering routine emails that someone else can handle, or scheduling social media posts.

4. Neither Urgent nor Important: Consider eliminating these tasks. This could include excessive social media browsing or attending meetings that do not require your presence.

By categorising tasks, you can concentrate on what truly matters without getting side-tracked.

Step 3: Set clear deadlines

Once categorised, it’s vital to set clear deadlines. Deadlines create a sense of urgency and help you stay focused. For tasks deemed important but not urgent, like completing a report due next month, establish a specific timeline to prevent them from being overlooked.

Be realistic about how long each task will take. If a report typically takes four hours, block that time out in your calendar - this also helps serve as a reminder to do it. If you miss the 'booked' time, remember to reschedule it so you'd don't forget it completely. This should help prevent last-minute stress.

Step 4: Use the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle, states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Identify the tasks with the highest impact and prioritise them.

For example, if making five key client calls leads to more than half of your monthly sales, focus on those calls before handling less impactful tasks like creating detailed reports. This strategy allows you to maximise productivity while feeling less overwhelmed.

Bonus: By ticking off some 'quick easy wins', you'll boost your Dopamine and motivation to keep up the momentum and crack on with everything else. Have you ever set out to just tidy up one surface in the house and then found yourself halfway through doing a complete clean an hour later?.. or is that just me..? Regardless, same principle!

Step 5: Limit distractions

A focused environment is critical. Identify your common distractions, like phone notifications or social media, and find ways to limit them. I personally have various focus modes on my phone, and ban myself from looking at WhatsApp if I'm in the middle of a meaty job.

You could set specific times during the day to check emails or turn off notifications while working on priority tasks. Using apps that block access to distracting websites during work hours, and setting up time limits on apps can help improve focus. Just don't ignore the 'times up' messages.

Step 6: Review & adjust regularly

Prioritisation is not a one-time effort; it requires regular review and adjustments. At the end of each day or week, take a moment to reflect on what you accomplished and what still needs attention. If you notice that certain tasks are consistently left unfinished, reassess their importance. Is there anything you could delegate, or is it may be time to let go of low-priority tasks that consume your time?

Step 7: Practice self-care

Effective prioritisation also involves maintaining your well-being. Schedule regular breaks and time for self-care. An example from my day today - 'once I've got this social post out, then I can make myself that mug brownie'. When you look after yourself, you will be more focused and efficient in completing tasks.

Incorporating activities that recharge you, like a daily walk, or downtime with family & friends, can enhance your ability to prioritise. Studies show that even a 10-minute break can boost your productivity significantly. I know personally, if my brain is in a funk and can't focus, that hour long walk helps to reset and re-zen my concentration - even with an energetic spaniel in tow.

So what now?

Feeling overwhelmed by a long to-do list is common, but it doesn’t have to dominate your life. By following these steps to prioritise your tasks, you can regain control and focus on what truly matters. Make sure to list your tasks, categorise them, set deadlines, limit distractions and engage in self-care. With these strategies, your to do list will become much more manageable.

Now, take a deep breath. & repeat.

Ready? Go make that list.