When you have multiple tasks to complete each day, you need to develop an effective system to manage them. Prioritisation skill helps you to determine what you should complete first based on importance. It includes deciding what order tasks should be completed based on their importance. This strategy may help you to organise your time more efficiently. This helps you learn how you complete important tasks first.
“Mastering the art of prioritization is essential for maintaining focus during study sessions. By identifying and concentrating on what truly matters, you can work towards achieving your goals with increased efficiency.”
How do you decide what matters most & prioritize?
For this, you’ve to ask three questions to yourself.
1). Consider the following thought-provoking question: Even if you experience failure in a specific task, such as an exam, will the relationships and skills you acquire persist beyond that setback? Could it be that the cumulative impact of your skills and relationships could lead you to greater successes, despite encountering various small failures along the way? This concept reflects what Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, believes: “You always win in the end.”
2). Ask yourself “Which one of these tasks, if completed, would make all the remaining tasks easier, irrelevant, or unimportant?” Let’s suppose that you have to accomplish five things in a day and completing one pivotal task first would make the other remaining four tasks will be very easy for you to tackle.
3).” Which one task are you thinking about?” Now, reflect on the task that is constantly at the forefront of your mind. What is that one idea, goal, project, or task that you find yourself thinking about upon waking up and before going to bed? The persistent nature of this thought signifies its importance.
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There are 3 principles to prioritization, which will give ideas to do what matters most?
1. ABCDE Technique:
This technique is given by personal development expert Brian Tracy, best known for his book “Eat that Frog”. According to this, first, take a piece of paper and list out all the tasks that you need to complete. Once the listing is done, then you’ve to start assigning A, B, C, D, &E to your tasks. It has to be done by keeping the tasks dependent on their level of importance and priority.
“A” includes the items that are the most important, these bring you close to your goals and that task you can’t avoid. “B” includes tasks that you should do but have relatively less relevance to A. The thing is that you’ve to do these tasks but according to the rule, never do it before completing the tasks of A. “C” includes tasks you’d probably want to get done but are not relevant to your result or goal. This can help you chill out with your friends. “D” includes tasks you’re hoping to delegate to someone else to focus on more important items in your categories. And “E” tasks are those activities that should be ideally eliminated.
2. Eisenhower Matrix:
Dwight D. gave this idea. Eisenhower—the 34th President of the United States and a general during World War II. This method categorizes all the tasks into four categories based on urgency and importance. The first is that tasks include those that are important and need immediate attention. So, We should tackle these tasks first.
The second one includes the tasks that demand your immediate attention but are not that important. So, delegate or minimize tasks whenever possible. In the third one, those tasks are included that can be postponed because it’s important but not urgent. And the fourth column you include that tasks can be eliminated because it’s not important nor urgent. Watching movies, and chilling out are examples of the 4th tasks. This Eisenhower matrix helps you to prioritize tasks more effectively and allocate your time and resources.
3. 80/20 Rule:
According to the Pareto principle, which is well known as the 80/20 rule. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, gave this principle in 1906. This states that 20% of your efforts give 80% of your result. So, identify the task that will have the most significant impact on your result or goal and prioritize them accordingly.
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Steps that help you in Prioritisation skill
1) Make a To-Do List:
This is the list of tasks that you have to complete by day. Every morning or when your day starts, you just need to note all of your tasks. Make sure not to forget to list any task. This helps you to know which tasks require immediate attention. And keep focused on your goal and measuring achievement.
2) Decide which tasks are the most important:
There are several factors about what’s most important. What do you need right now? What’s your capacity for taking on a project or task to meet those needs? These questions are crucial to decide the most important task. When you get the answer to what you need right now, that could be money, companionship or anything else. Then you need to know the efforts that are required to complete it. You will get a clear image of your first task on your to-do list.
3) Set Clear Goals:
Define your goals and objectives to guide your prioritization process. Having clear goals allows you to align your tasks with your overall vision and prioritize accordingly.
4) Consider Deadlines:
Take note of deadlines associated with your tasks. Prioritize tasks with imminent deadlines to ensure that you meet your commitments and avoid unnecessary stress. When you fix the deadline of any work, it also helps to keep away from procrastination.
5) Evaluate Task Importance:
When you know the importance of a specific task then it will give you another level of motivation to complete the task. So, evaluating task importance is a must because Evaluating task importance helps in aligning tasks with your goals and desired outcomes.
6) Learn to say “No”:
Nowadays, students’ lives are filled with unnecessary things that waste their time and energy. Be selective with your task. Say “No” to those tasks that have low priority and have no essentials in your life. Always do those tasks only that align with your goals and add significant value Say no to protect your time and effort which can be utilised in the tasks that truly matter.
