How do you prioritize on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis? Do you handle problems as they come up rather than prioritizing the most impactful tasks first? Do you like to complete the easiest tasks first?  We are addicted to checking off tasks, so we often start with the tasks or projects that “won’t take much time” to complete. Check. We constantly choose those things that are easy to check off our to-do lists. Check.  

But, we should start with the most important things first, the tasks that will have the greatest impact both professionally and personally.  It’s important to spend time prioritizing the tasks that make the biggest difference to your business.

If you're not focusing on the higher priority tasks because they seem overwhelming or take too much time to complete, they can turn into problems.

How many people do you know that haven’t prioritized their health until a doctor says, “If you don’t change your habits you could have a real problem in the future?” When it gets to that point, you've got a full-blown emergency. If the highest priority items are planned and handled in advance, you have a predictable business that runs on systems instead of constantly reacting to emergencies. Think of the time you save when you don’t have to react to emergencies! If you don't have a system in place, you're probably working on the wrong things all day and never getting anything accomplished. If you need help, there are several systems available to help you prioritize your tasks and not just create to-do lists.

How do you prioritize so your highest priority tasks are getting handled first, and not spend your highest energy time with lower priorities?