Recently, I coached a professional juggling multiple responsibilities: pursuing a PhD, working full-time, being a dedicated sports parent, and seeking their next career opportunity. They mentioned giving 100% to everything they do—a sentiment many of us share. Often, we even say, “I give 110% to everything I do!” However, we know this isn’t sustainable. We often find ourselves a year later without the big goal accomplished, the yearly resolution unmet, and scattered in thought and mired in the everyday. Can we evolve from work/life balance to work/life integration? This shift makes prioritizing crucial.
Do Sweat the Small Stuff
The small stuff can get in the way of the “big stuff,” and the small stuff makes up the big stuff! The small stuff makes up our everyday lives in a big way.
It’s sometimes impossible to get out of our busy way – we go to bed still thinking of all the things we didn’t do and start making lists of the things we will get done tomorrow. This has been termed “monkey mind” (1) The term “monkey mind” refers to a state of restlessness, distraction, and unsettled thoughts, often likened to the behavior of a monkey constantly jumping from branch to branch. When our mind is not focused, it runs amok.
Prioritizing Clears the Decks
Here are four essential and simple methods for effective prioritizing of tasks that go beyond the To-Do list:
- Choose Activities Wisely: Break your tasks into quadrants based on value and time investment.
- Manage Energy and Priorities: Focus on activities that align with your energy levels.
- Apply the Pareto Principle: Recognize that 80% of your output comes from 20% of your input. Prioritize tasks that yield the highest results.
- Focus on Important and Urgent Tasks: Concentrate on what’s both urgent and important (The Eisenhower Matrix).
These strategies help structure our daily tasks, placing real value on each. But what do all these small tasks lead to? What is the outcome?
Think Bigger
We can apply some of these tasks to larger, long-term projects like job hunting, starting a business, planning for retirement, earning a degree, or building a vacation home. During many coaching sessions, the professional and I discuss whether to undertake new commitments. It’s essential to weigh the effort against the potential benefits. Being mindful of our “big rocks”—significant goals—can help us prioritize and possibly eliminate less impactful tasks. This can take less time than scrolling through your favorite social media feeds!
Prioritizing & Operationalizing BIG Goals
One technique I recommend is operationalizing large goals. This involves not just setting priorities but being realistic about the effort required, without judgment, but with honesty. Combining this with the four methods can clarify and align our goals with actionable steps.
Step 1: Determine Effort
Create a simple table listing your goals, their priority, and the estimated effort each will require. Assume your total effort capacity is 100%.
For example, our professional, was evaluating whether to pursue a PhD alongside other commitments:
| Goal |
Priority |
Percent Effort |
| Gain PhD |
1 |
40% |
| Create Branding as a presenter and Writer (5 articles and 5 speaking engagements per quarter) |
2 |
10% |
| Focus on new business – increase by 30% by Year-End |
3 |
30% |
| Decrease expenses by downsizing (New Smaller Home) |
4 |
10% |
| Focus on wellness (Exercise Daily and Mediate) |
5 |
10% |
Step 2: Use the Four Methods for Deeper Insight
Ask four critical questions based on the four prioritizing methods and score each goal:
- Which goal has the most value to you?
- Which goal energizes you the most?
- Which goal has the least degree of difficulty?
- Which goal is most urgent or important?
For our professional, this looked like:
| Goal |
Priority |
Percent Effort |
Value |
Energy |
Difficulty |
Urgency |
| Gain PhD |
1 |
40% |
5 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| Create Branding as a presenter and Writer (5 articles and 5 speaking engagements per quarter) |
2 |
10% |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
| Focus on new business – increase by 30% by Year-End |
3 |
30% |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| Decrease expenses by downsizing (New Smaller Home) |
4 |
10% |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
| Focus on wellness (Exercise Daily and Mediate) |
5 |
10% |
2 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
Step 3: Analyze and Reconfigure Your Results
Examine the alignment between effort and the four prioritizing factors. Adjust your goals accordingly to optimize your focus and energy.
After careful consideration, the final goal chart looked like this:
| Goal |
Priority |
Percent Effort |
| Create Branding as a presenter and Writer (5 articles and 5 speaking engagements per quarter) |
1 |
40% |
| Focus on new business – increase by 30% by Year-End |
2 |
40% |
| Focus on wellness (Exercise Daily and Mediate) |
3 |
20% |
Our professionals decided to prioritize business and branding efforts, gain energy from improving health, and defer graduate education and downsizing plans. This focused approach allows maximum value to be achieved from the most important and urgent goals without diluting effort and energy.
Achieve Calm and Clear
By strategically prioritizing and operationalizing your goals, you can achieve greater clarity, alignment, and success in both daily tasks and long-term projects. Treat this as a living list of your goals and revisit it as often as needed. Your energy and needs do change. And most importantly, not only can you reduce “monkey mind,” but you can also increase your success and reduce regret!
References:
- Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. New Harbinger Publications.
- https://roadmunk.com/guides/product-prioritization-techniques-product-managers/
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