Quantum Happiness Series- Plant priorities
“At the center of your being; you know who
you are, and you know what you want.”
—Lao Tzu
.jpg "Quantum Happiness- plant priorities")
Priorities are like sunflowers in our goal garden that keep us facing in the right direction. Prioritizing highlights what is most important while identifying things that can wait, be delegated, or even deleted.
Tasks are best prioritized by making to-do lists. When the list is complete, assign either an A, B or C to each item and get busy working your A's off :)
·
A= Absolutely must be completed NOW- Imperative.
·
B= Needs immediate attention. Serious.
·
C= Needs attention soon. Stable.
Avoid temptation
to work on the C’s first, and dive straight into those A’s.
Some of us tend to procrastinate by knocking
out a few C’s, but that’s a rookie mistake. Get those A’s out of the way, and we
feel better, lighter, more productive while we sail through the rest of our
list.
The deadline dilemma
For some reason, deadlines cause me to
procrastinate. If I am on deadline, my first instinct is always to clean the
house, buy groceries, and cook, all the while telling myself that I am going to
get started writing as soon as I wrap up this one last item.
I remember one time in particular when the
girls were small, I was on deadline and having trouble concentrating. James
stepped in to save the day and took the girls on an outing to do some shopping
and stop by the park.
He looked at me as they were leaving and said,
“I don’t want to
come home and find the house clean and dinner smelling good. I want to come
home and find you relaxed because your assignment is finished.”
That’s one of the nicest things anyone has
ever said to me.
Review then preview
At the end of the day, review your to-do list
and consider tomorrow’s agenda. Are there any items floating in the B or C category
that might be delegated or deleted entirely?
Maybe your grass needs to be cut, the dog
needs a bath, or you need groceries but dread the time and energy these tasks will
take. All these things can be delegated. Or maybe you were planning to cook
dinner for a friend next week but realize you don’t have time. Can it be
cancelled or postponed until you have time to enjoy it? If not, go to a
restaurant instead and leave the cooking and cleaning to someone else.
It is important to know what is driving us,
what our priorities are. So, find or create a planner or planning app that
addresses your needs and use it faithfully.
There are three planning worksheets at the end
of this segment to get you started.
Engagement exercise 1:
List your to-dos for the month, the week, and the day. Designate to-do’s as A,
B, or C priorities. Practice daily and revise as needed.
Example:
My month
A/B/C Tasks
A
Pay bills
B Oil
change in car
A Baby’s
shots
(continue as needed.)
My
week
A/B/C Tasks
A
Dinner with Mom
C
Wash car
A
Make appt. for baby’s
shots
(continue as needed.)
My
day
A/B/C Tasks
B
Finish
laundry
A
Make appt. for baby’s
shots
A
Pay
bills
(continue as needed.)
My month
A/B/C Tasks
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My week
A/B/C Tasks
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My day
A/B/C Tasks
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