We all want to have time for things that matter most –but all too often, daily tasks, and additional obligations come up and before you know it the day is gone and the important tasks end up pushed aside for another day.
One of the first steps towards mapping out your day starts with identifying the most important tasks. As the saying goes, “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” It’s a bit of a cliché, but it’s also true! Without a plan, and a list of priorities, it’s hard to stay focused and easy to let other things get in the way of what needs to be done.
Read on and discover how you can determine the most important task of the day, and work towards prioritizing it to ensure that it gets done –as scheduled!
How to Decide?
It can be hard to choose which task is the most vital -especially if you have a number of different tasks on your to-do list! Still, there’s a good chance that you have a good idea about which tasks are the most important. If you’re uncertain, you could try asking yourself the question: ‘Which task will make the biggest difference?’ Of course, be sure to add in other important deciding factors such as inflexible deadlines, or past due tasks. These tasks should make it to the front of your list.
What If You’re Stuck?
Deciding on the most important tasks can be a difficult decision, but don’t stress it. If you’re really stuck and can’t choose between three or four different tasks, then the truth is that any of the tasks would make a great first start. Just pick one that you feel most ready for, and work towards finishing the others next. After all: you have to start somewhere!
When to Decide
Your most important task of the day will most likely vary from day to day depending on what you have going on. The more chaotic your life is, the more important it is to have the important tasks identified ahead of time. The best time to prioritize your tasks is either the night before, or in the morning. If you are a morning person, then lay it out first thing in the morning -before you get to work checking emails and planning other events. If you are a night owl, then consider sitting down at night and charting out the following day, taking special care to prioritize the most important tasks for the following day.
Why Does It Matter?
Identifying your most important task at the start of the day -or the night before- will help you to keep your life organized, scheduled, and structured. You will actually find that by scheduling things out, and checking things off your list you will feel less stressed, and will have more free time to spend on other things.
Of course, it’s important to remember that identifying the most important task of the day doesn’t mean that nothing else will get done; it simply means you are reserving a special amount of time to accomplish the most important task, before moving onto the other tasks at hand.
Remember: time is golden. Prioritizing your tasks in order of importance allows you to complete your tasks as efficiently as possible –saving you from unneeded stress and helping to free you up to have more time for what matters most.
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