Prioritizing

In the era of connectivity, you have something you could be doing 24/7, 365.

So when we choose to do one thing, we also choose not to do everything else.

Setting your own limits may seem constricting, but having no self-imposed boundaries limits you more if it leads to mindless effort or paralysis due to decision fatigue.

I choose to block out the necessary time to get essential work completed while adding buffers for breaks and mistakes. Writing down what you need to do is helpful, but to-do lists aren’t enough. Approaching a to-do list with a “what’s next?” type of mentality leads to anxiety because you find yourself unsure of what you just did was the right thing, you’re not sure if what you’re doing now is the best thing, and you probably think what’s the next best thing to come.

On the other hand, when you prioritize, it helps you focus on the task at hand and adjust from there. I make a weekly plan every Monday where I start with the question, “What do I want to accomplish?” I identify one to three critical things I want to get done and block out all of the time I don’t have on my calendar. First, I block out non-negotiables such as moving, meditating, and family time. Once the non-negotiables are blocked, I move on to any meetings I have for work or obligations outside of work. Whatever is the white space on my calendar to tackle my top three critical goals.

At that point, I start from my goal (which is usually based such as X minutes of writing) and work backward with the white space that I have. Now that the calendar is filled, it’s no longer about deciding more than it’s about executing, and that saves energy.

When you have to choose what you’re going to do in real-time, spending time deciding opens up gaps for excuses and legitimate rationalization to come in and take you off course.

If you block out every minute of every day (including recreation time), your actions won’t line up with your plan at the end of the week. That’s okay. In fact, in the three years I’ve done this, I’ve yet to get through an entire day with 100% discipline on what I set out to do. However, we must give ourselves a standard deviation from the daily plan and have the humility to understand you learn about yourself and your environment when you set a mark and miss it, which will help you become a better planner.

Prioritizing by blocking off each hour of your day gives your life purpose, and you no longer have to guess what you should be doing. And it’s glorious when you look at your calendar come 6:30 PM and realize what you’re supposed to be doing at that time is hanging out, relaxing, and spending time with the things and people you care about the most.