How to prioritize your work and to be productive

Tired of your never ending task list ? Knowing how to prioritize your work will help you be more productive and get things done at the right time.

Prioritization is the process of determining the level of importance and urgency of a task.
In this post I will give you simple tips to learn how to prioritize the tasks in your to-do list.

1. Create a list of your task

It might sound logical but too often we don’t take the time to create a list and we rush to dive into our work.
To learn how to prioritize, you will need to have a view of everything you need to do.

Take the time to clearly map out your tasks.

Once your tasks are listed, divide them into categories “urgent” “important” you can also add a due date, it will help you.

2. Choose a prioritization method

There are plenty of different prioritization methods you can use. How you prioritize your tasks will depend on your job and work style.
In this post I will only talk about two methods. The ABCDE method and the Eisenhower Matrix.

ABCDE method

The ABCDE method is a simple time management technique. Due to its simplicity and effectiveness, it will help you manage your professional and personal tasks with no effort.

The ABCDE method is comparable as giving grades to your tasks from:

A: Highest priority, tasks that are very important and urgent
B: Medium priority, tasks that are important but not urgent
C: Lowest priority, tasks that are nice to do and have no consequences if not done
D: Tasks you can delegate them
E: Tasks you can eliminate

Now, take the list of tasks you have created and assign a letter to each of them to help you identify what needs to be done in priority.

Eisenhower Matrix

A long to-do list of tasks can feel overwhelming. The core of the Eisenhower Matrix is to help you go through them by categorizing them into four quadrants, based on urgency and importance. It’s a great tool to help you distinguish which tasks should be your top priority and to help you stay organized.

Quadrant 1: Do

In this quadrant you will place all the tasks that are both important and urgent. These are the tasks that must be done now, have big consequences and affect your long-term goals.

Quadrant 2: Schedule

In quadrant 2 you will place all the tasks that are not urgent but still important. They are a priority but you can schedule these tasks for later.

Quadrant 3: Delegate

Here you will place all the tasks that are urgent but not important and that don’t require your skills to be accomplished. Delegate them to someone else.

Quadrant 4: Delete

This is where you will place the tasks that are neither important or urgent. Don’t spend a lot of time on these tasks or consider eliminating them.

Prioritize work is productive work

If you want to achieve your goals, learning prioritization is a must. By consistently applying these simple methods you will create new habits to become a more productive and organized person.