Oftentimes in business and in life, we get so caught up on the menial day-to-day tasks that we run out of time before getting around to the more meaningful, strategic action. However, in prioritizing the immediate over the important, we are not as effective in our execution as possible.
A principle called the Eisenhower Box explains that there are four categories of tasks, regardless of whether we are looking at our to-do list from an hourly or a monthly perspective. These categories are: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important , and lastly, tasks that are neither important nor urgent.
Before we can delve into our decision making, it is crucial to differentiate urgency from importance. Urgent tasks are those that we feel warrant immediate response or reaction, whereas important tasks are those that help us strategically move toward our long term goals, visions, etc.
Now that we have clearly distinguished the two, we can more effectively determine how to address the task at hand. If the task is neither urgent nor important, ask yourself why you are engaging in it to begin with. Eliminate it, and witness how much time you save. If the task is not important but urgent, delegate it! If it is not within your means to delegate another person to manage these menial activities, at least dedicate a specific time to getting these things out of the way.
Onto the important tasks. For activities that aren’t urgent but are, in fact, important (such as overarching strategy work, professional development, networking, etc)... schedule them! Just because you aren’t “on deadline” for these things doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be top-of-mind. Finally, we have the tasks that are both urgent AND important. For these, the answer is clear and simple: get it done!
As you craft your to-do list, both now and into the future, consider this method as you work to develop a strategy for addressing the many action items that land on your desk more effectively. While the specifics may differ, one thing is clear: focus on what is important.
More information can be found in my recently released book, Killing Cats Leads to Rats: Mitigating the Unintended Consequences of Business Decisions. Purchase the book on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2pGJB6D