Setting Priorities in Business
from My Magnetic Blog.com 7/13 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz
Can you imagine living a life where everything you ever start gets finished, gets noticed & succeeds? A life where you have enough time to get everything on your list checked off and done? In reality, Entrepreneurs think much faster than anyone can implement (just ask your team… Ha ha), move faster than anyone can follow and get pulled down & up way too often. If your To Do list is constantly way too long and you never seem to finish anything, you’re not alone. I have a good news for you – the rest of this article is for you. In “real” life, we deal with imperfect conditions. Stuff happens, time flies, technology fails, even people are imperfect. In “real” life it’s important to count on imperfection & keep your priorities right. Let’s have a closer look at…
Most common Mistakes when setting Priorities:
Mistake #1: Not “thinking” about Priorities.
Many entrepreneurs work way too hard, way too long, neglecting what truly matters – their personal needs or even worse, their families. Not understanding what is important for you in life can actually be the road to winning the wrong things (success) while losing things (people) that are important to you.
Mistake #2: Setting “too many” Priorities
Have you ever had an ongoing list of super important tasks that have to get done …yesterday? Welcome to the club! This is a great way to frustration, negativity & under-achievement.
Mistake #3: Lack of Implementation
It’s not that uncommon to see entrepreneurs fail. It sure doesn’t happen because of the lack of ideas; our heads are full of ideas. Even though the reason of business failure is more complex, one of the reasons is the lack of implementation. Way too many business owners never take action necessary to turn their ideas into reality. If this is you, you need to understand that without action, you won’t be able to create any results. No matter how hard to keep dreaming…
How can you “choose” your Priorities wisely? Here are some tips to help you get started. When looking at your list of priorities, consider the following…
1. Urgent vs. Important
Things that become urgent because: 1) we forgot about them, 2) neglected them or 3) someone else is lacking good planning skills, and then can look like they are important. But are they? I hoped you learned early in my life, that lack of someone else’s planning doesn’t necessarily have to lead to emergency at your end. It’s totally OK to let people deal with the consequences of their own decisions (or lack of them). Is specific task or activity truly important, is it taking you to where you’re heading or is it just urgent?
2. Purpose-driven vs. Business-driven
There’s a big difference between purpose-driven life and keeping yourself “busy” – for no reason. I find that way too many people mistake activity for productivity, but these are completely different. Are you living the purpose of your life (mission/goals) or are you just keeping yourself busy? What is really your purpose in life? Is what you are doing, still aligned with your purpose or are you just keeping yourself busy?
3. Making a Difference vs. Dreaming
Some people will waste their lives dreaming about things they would love to do or influence they would like to have. There’s no problem with dreaming. Having big dreams is great. Yet, it’s important to also see daily opportunities to make a difference in somebody else’s life NOW. Are you making a difference or are you just dreaming about maybe one day changing the world? To change the world, you need to start where you are – with who you are and what you have right now.
What’s a Priority? Looking at your To Do List for today, where do your tasks belong? Should they stay at the “priority” level or should they be moved further down to “someday” part? Is there anything that should be on your list instead?
Comment: Do you prioritize your tasks & activities? If yes, how do you choose your top priorities? What tip have you found valuable to your own business? Share your thoughts in the Comment section below. I look forward to hearing from you!