Addressing competing priorities

Today, I want to talk to you about competing priorities.

Many people I work with have this recurring issue – it feels as if there's just “too much to do.”

Does your day seem too full? Do you often try to work more just to “catch up” but find that the more you try to GET done, the more there seems to need to BE done?

It’s a vicious cycle.

To end the cycle, you need to change your strategy and your relationship with time. Today, I’m giving you three questions to ask yourself to do just that.

Question #1: What really is a priority?

In this context, I’m not talking about distractions – it’s not Netflix binges and social media black holes taking up our time. Typically, all these things on our mind and our list seem to “need” to be done. In this case, it’s a matter of priority. What is filling up your day that really doesn’t need to be there, or needs to take a back seat to other things?

For example, I used to work with someone who felt that she had to get every last errand and task done before a trip. She had to clean the house from top to bottom, she had to take the deposit to the bank, she had to get the car washed, she had to get the oil changed – she had all these things she would try to do before she left for a trip, even if it was a short trip. In this case, it is helpful to look at priorities. Eventually, she put these things into perspective and was able to have a much more centered start to her trips.

Question #2: What is the definition of success?

It’s important to know what success looks like for you. Projects (both work and personal) tend to fall into two categories – some are projects with clear milestones and endpoints and others are more time-based activities we want to participate in.

For the projects with end goals, putting mini-goals in place for each day or week can be a helpful approach. This way, we avoid becoming overwhelmed because we’re not trying to get it all done at once. Instead, we consider what we can get done today that would move us forward based on the time we have.

The time-based activities are things like spending time out in nature, spending time with family and friends, taking a class, or getting a workout in. We find ourselves saying things like “I wish I had more time to…” Chances are, there will always be a desire for “more time to…” Instead, we will get better results if we determine an amount of time we can devote to the activity and schedule that in.

In the past, I've started with a goal of reading for 10 minutes a day. Reading for me is very relaxing but I always put it off for other things. After I made it a daily practice to read for just 10 minutes, I found that it was plenty of time to help me have more of the feeling I wanted to have in my day.

Question #3: How much more present can you be?

I've found, for myself and for people I've worked with, that it's not necessarily that we need more time; we're looking for more connection. And connection comes from being present.

In my work life, even if I've had to sit through a meeting that wasn't necessarily something I was looking forward to, but in that meeting we were able to see each other's point of view and make the progress we needed – that feels really good. This type of experience fills up our day, and fills up our hearts.

Without connection, our inner world is simply a constant inner dialogue of “I've got too much to do.” So, look at how present you're being. Maybe you only get an hour with your children, and you want 10 hours. Well, how can you make that hour count? Feeling the presence of someone has lasting benefit for both people.

I imagine many of you, like me, deal with this feeling of competing priorities on a regular, if not daily, basis. I invite you to ask yourself those three questions. I hope this helps you! If you’d like more, please go to www.beingevolutionary.com – where personal development meets rocket science.