Stress Control Through Time Management: Prioritization

This subject of prioritization does require—as I mentioned—several blogs due to the importance and intricacy of the principle. Without prioritization, days , weeks, months, years will fly by and you will wonder what happened to all those great things you wanted to do—or all those great people (like your family) who you wanted to spend time with. Truly, prioritization is one of the major aspects of time management.

Management experts teach that there are 3 R’s in learning how to prioritize.

The 3 R’s are as follows:

• What is required of me?
• What gives the greatest return?
• What is most rewarding?

Requirement, Return, Reward

You cannot change the order of these “R’s” although most people would like to do that (or do, in fact, reverse the order). You have to know what is required of you—at work or at home—and do those things first. You may want to do those things that are the most fun–or that you think are the most rewarding—but that will only serve to haunt you.

Do the things that are required of you—things that bring the greatest return for your efforts and you will find that you have more time and more energy for those things that are most rewarding. Of course, I am not speaking of financially rewarding things only. While this does apply to financial rewards, there are activities and actions—time investments—that will be, ultimately more rewarding to you than anything else. Steven Covey said, “Do first things first”. He was referring to this principle of 3 R’s.

Remember —as you are prioritizing –identify WHAT IS:

Important, Not important, urgent, and not urgent.

If something is not important and not urgent: leave it.

If something is not important but is urgent: delegate it.

If something is important and not urgent: plan it

If something is important and urgent: DO IT!! AND DO IT NOW!!!!

Take a few minutes to write out the things that are required of you—at home and at work. Then, prioritize these things (as we have been discussing.). As you are prioritizing, determine which activities will bring the most return for your efforts. And finally, rejoice in the rewards of applying these principles to your life– personally, professionally, spiritually, and financially.

If you start with the things that you enjoy the most and that are the most rewarding or fun—you short circuit the things that are required and ultimately, you deprive yourself of the time, money, energy, and stress relief that enhances your rewarding activities.

First things First!!!!