Prioritization

"I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Prioritization is arranging items or activities in order of importance and/or urgency.

Eisenhower principle

In a speech at NorthWestern University, Dwight D. Eisenhower said: "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." This "Eisenhower Principle" is how he organized his workload and priorities.

Priority Matrix (Uses the Eisenhower principle)

Priority Matrix (Uses the Eisenhower principle)

Prioritization strategies

Key prioritization strategies include:

1. Use a priority matrix

2. Number your priorities

3. Make a prioritized task list each day

4. Prioritize the most important tasks

5. Pick a single focus when appropriate (Block out necessary hours/day/week to do something so you can focus better)

6. Pick a single focus (Related to daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals)

7. Use the Ivy Lee method of focusing on your six most important tasks

8. Use the ABCDE method (Levels of priority with A being the highest)

9. For larger long term goals, use the two list strategy. Come up with a list of the 25 most important long-term goals and then focus on the top 5 and avoid the other 20.

10. Change priorities if necessary to gain flexibility for the unexepected. Avoid the sunk cost fallacy.

11. Prioritize your important work during your most productive hours

Book

• The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller. Bard Press; First Edition (April 1, 2013)

External links

• Prioritization — Using Your Time & Energy Effectively
• Prioritization
• Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle

Videos:

• How to best prioritize your time - video playlist, Video playlist