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Money Women and Brains

Business Brain Marketing for Women

Mindset Success – Your Priorities

December 3, 2015 By Joyce Hansen 10 Comments

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mindset success priority

When it comes to a mindset for success, how we manage time is one of the most critical. Every day, we either keep a running to-do list in our head or have a written list of things we want to accomplish.

 

Human behavior is such that we usually gravitate to doing the easy things first. The difficult, time-consuming and deadline items usually don’t rise to the top of the list until it’s absolutely necessary (affectionately known as procrastination).

 

The mystique of getting things done

 

As we are able to cross things off the list during the day, there’s a real sense of satisfaction of completion. But, what we actually cross off are the easy and busy tasks. At the end of the day, it’s usually only a list of completed tasks not a list of completed priorities.

 

Doing the easy things first and the harder things later, it’s definitely not a habit that works for our business success.

 

What makes it a priority?

 

A priority is something important that requires attention or action (sooner rather than later) within a certain time period. The time period itself can vary. It may span from a daily schedule to a future completion date.

 

There may also be a list of priorities requiring attention. However, within a priority list, each priority will be further prioritized as to importance and urgency.

 

Also, one priority may suddenly become more important than others as a deadline approaches, its completion is necessary before the next step can be taken or it becomes a critical response to a crisis.

 

What priorities do

 

Priorities are also time management tools. They define what we are going to do with our daily allocation of time. A certain amount will be set aside for our personal life and personal priorities and the remaining time is what we allocate for business.

 

While there are many things we can be doing in our business, it’s the priorities which solve the problems and support future growth and prosperity.

 

The problem with setting priorities

 

The primary problem with setting priorities is that they are based on our own subjective valuation. It is we, with our own biases and preferences, that decide which to-do items are a priority and which have a greater priority than others.

 

There are several methods for deciding which priority deserves our utmost attention. And, it would be even better if someone else with objectivity could look at our business and tell us what we should be doing first.

 

However, if we want to be objective about our own subjective priorities we need to do some honest self evaluation. As we know, it’s so easy to focus on other things and avoid the difficult and challenging for as long as possible even if they are a business priority.

 

The four priority questions to ask

 

One way to be more objective in our business is to ask ourselves these recommended questions from www.e4healthinc.com.

 

Why am I doing this?

How does this relate to my goals and objectives

How urgent is this task?

Can anyone else do it?

 

Take a basic example that we all face. Each morning we start our business day with a choice of priorities- either checking emails or allocating a block of time to work on one of our business goals.

 

Well, we already know emails are the easy default, and we spend more time there than we care to admit. But, if we ask the questions as to their priority value, the answers pale by comparison to the priority of addressing a business goal first.

 

Therefore, if we want a mindset for success it requires allocating our time and energy to focusing on our business priorities. Then it’s time to celebrate everytime we cross another priority off the list!

 

What are the business priorities on your list that aren’t getting the attention they need?

 

Source:
http://jasonfoundation.com/prp/files/2012/10/The-Importance-of-Setting-Priorities.pdf
Image: http://pixabay.com/en/list-to-do-list-reminder-to-do-372766/

 

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Filed Under: Business success Tagged With: Business Mindset, Business Productivity, Productivity

Comments

  1. Vatsala Shukla says

    March 13, 2017 at 5:08 AM

    I plan my week in general on Sunday evening, Joyce, with a list of priority tasks broken down into the latest deadline to do them. So priority isn’t the problem. What can derail me is the unexpected developments on a Monday morning (amazing, isn’t it?) . I’ve worked a way around it by keeping Monday relatively easy and more flexible. It works for me.

    Reply
    • Joyce Hansen says

      March 17, 2017 at 7:37 AM

      Smart move, Vatsala, to leave time for the unexpected things that crop up. A task list and the priorities always need some flexibility.

      Reply
  2. Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos says

    March 11, 2017 at 2:55 PM

    I love how you explained the difference between completed tasks & completed priorities. So many of us make lists but don’t prioritize it. I am a list person so I found this extremely helpful. Great blog.

    Reply
    • Joyce Hansen says

      March 17, 2017 at 7:50 AM

      It’s easy to make lists, but hard to get the important things done. Glad this was helpful to you.

      Reply
  3. Summer Price says

    March 11, 2017 at 1:27 PM

    I LOVE this post. Such a great reminder and I am guilty of too many of your examples. There are too many things that I am procrastinating, I’m too embarrassed to list them. Definitely, need to tackle the big things first things or the things that I don’t want to do while I have the energy to do them. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Joyce Hansen says

      March 17, 2017 at 7:52 AM

      Good point Summer, about having the energy to complete the things on our list that we avoid. Being tired is a good excuse for not tackling the next thing on our list.

      Reply
  4. Suzie Cheel says

    March 11, 2017 at 5:24 AM

    This is brilliant Joyce I am adding these 4 questions to my daily to dos Why am I doing this?
    How does this relate to my goals and objectives
    How urgent is this task?
    Can anyone else do it?
    thank you xx

    Reply
    • Joyce Hansen says

      March 17, 2017 at 7:56 AM

      Sometimes we need to question what we are doing before we jump right in. Glad you found this helpful.

      Reply
  5. Marquita Herald says

    March 11, 2017 at 4:04 AM

    I love the topic of priorities. My biggest lesson in setting priorities came when I took over sales and marketing for a regional aquarium. The place was in real trouble and I was hired to ‘save’ it, no pressure. On my first day, the owner gifted me with a list of priorities with – I kid you not – over 100 items on it! Fortunately, I had two things going for me – first, he was based in Israel and I was in Maui so I didn’t have him looking over my shoulder, and second, the general manager was very supportive and when I presented him with MY list of priorities he simply smiled and gave me the green light. The fact that the aquarium ended up being the most profitable in the company convinced the owner to let me decide on our priorities from then on. 🙂

    Reply
    • Joyce Hansen says

      March 17, 2017 at 7:59 AM

      What a wonderful experience to draw from. You must have had great insight to make the aquarium a priority!

      Reply

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