Hello hello 👋 I'd again like to start this week's post off with a question. You have your todo list with dozens or hundreds of items on it...

How do you know which action to work on next?

The ability to prioritize the things that need to get done may seem straight forward on the surface, but it's something I very often see people struggle with, or even fail at. It may seem simple to just go down your list, knocking one thing off after the other. And that's all well and good when you only have a dozen things on your list, and none of them are particularly important.

But the reality is, most of us are juggling dozens, or even hundreds of todos on our lists, each with varying levels of importance. So just going down some unordered list checking things off one by one isn't gonna cut it. We could spend hours, days, or more being stressed our, overwhelmed and crazy busy, only to look up and realize we haven't really changed or impacted anything. Which brings me to my first point...

Being busy isn't the same as being productive.

So what's the difference?

Being busy means to fill one's time doing things that may or may not have a larger impact (quite often it's the later). To simply start at the top of some arbitrary list and just try to complete as many things on it as possible.

Being productive, on the other hand, is strategic. It's taking that same list of actions, and plucking the 2 or 3 things from it that really matter and focussing on them. The other items on the list are still there, waiting to be completed, but these 2 or 3 really matter and will have real impact.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day (yes, even insanely successful people like Robert Herjavec and Beyoncé), so it's crucial to focus on actions that give you the biggest "bang for your buck", allowing you to go from just being busy, to being productive.

So, how do we turn our chaotic task lists into lean, mean, productivity machines? Here are some methods I've found that work wonders for me:

  1. Play the Consequence Game 🎭

    Ask yourself, "What's the consequence if I don't do this?" The more severe the consequence, the higher the priority.

  2. Who's Waiting on You? 🕰️

    Consider who you might be holding up by not completing a task. If your delay is causing a bottleneck for others, bump that task up the list.

  3. 1 Rock, Many Birds 🪨
    How many actions on your list can you complete with a single action? The more todos a single action can resolve, the more impact it can have. So it should be bumped up a priority level or two.

  4. The Eisenhower Matrix ⊹
    Ask yourself 2 questions for each task on your list. 1. Is this task urgent? 2. Is this task important? The items that are both urgent and important are likely high priority.

  5. The A-E Method 🔠
    Label each item in your list with only one letter, A - E where:
    A = Something that's very import. It will have serious consequences if you do or don't do that thing.
    B = Tasks you should do. These have light/mild consequences if you do or don't do them.
    C = A task that would be nice to do, but there are no consequences if you do or don't do that thing.
    D = Tasks you can (and probably should) delegate. Delegate tasks to others so you can focus on the tasks only You can do.
    E = Tasks you can eliminate.

Remember, nothing gets accomplished without taking action. Action is the driving force that turns ideas and intentions into reality. However, here’s something important to keep in mind: when your actions are guided by thoughtful planning, you set yourself up for greater success. Good planning helps you clarify your goals, anticipate obstacles, and allocate your resources wisely. As a result, the actions you take are more focused, effective, and impactful—leading to better outcomes than action taken impulsively or without direction. In other words, while action is essential, action informed by solid planning is what truly maximizes your impact.

However, don't fall into the trap of over-planning. Too much planning is like too much salt – it ruins the dish. You have to find a balance between planning and doing.

So, there you have it! Now go forth and conquer those tasks that are going to impact your life the most! I'm off to work on a secret, super big project 😉 see you next week!