First a quote;
“** The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.**” – Stephen Covey
There isn’t a time management expert anywhere who wouldn’t say that prioritizing your “to do list” is a bad thing. In fact, prioritizing your schedule is one of the best ways to make sure you’re getting the most important things done every day. However, it is simply not enough if you stop there.
If you think about it, what most of us tend to do is to take all which comes at us; emails, projects, problems, meetings, manager requests, client requests, etc., and we put those items on a list. Then, we prioritize our day, or week, based on what ended up on our list. While this process is a good time management habit in theory, if that is all we do, it is not enough, especially if we see ourselves as leaders. It is mostly reactionary. We react to that which comes at us.
Leadership is about being proactive, not simply reactionary. Of course we must react to the things which come at us. But, as leaders, we must also be proactive about what must be done to improve ourselves, our teams, our departments /functions and organizations.
Do you desire to get ahead? Get a promotion? Make a positive difference? What is on your “to do list” this week, that if done proactively, would make a difference in your career, business, department or company? Unless you schedule YOUR priorities as a leader, they will always be squeezed out by the endless list of daily duties that come your way. Know your priorities. Schedule your priorities. Don’t relegate your priorities to whatever time is left over, if any, if ever.
Be your best self this week!
Have a great week!!
