How to Prioritize Tasks at Work [PRO PRIORITIZATION TECHNIQUES]
Summary
TLDRFeeling overwhelmed at work? This video teaches you how to prioritize tasks to reduce stress and boost productivity. Learn to create a comprehensive inventory list, categorize tasks into A, B, and C columns based on urgency, and rank them for daily execution. Adriana emphasizes planning only 60% of your day to allow for unexpected tasks. Follow these steps to stay on track and impress your boss. Subscribe for more career and project management tips, and don't miss the special offer at the end to further enhance your prioritization skills.
Takeaways
- 😀 Prioritization is essential to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to increase efficiency at work.
- 🔄 Prioritization is not static; it can change according to evolving needs and circumstances.
- 📝 Start by making a comprehensive list of all tasks, regardless of their perceived importance or urgency.
- 📊 Organize tasks into three categories: A (time-sensitive and critical), B (important but less time-sensitive), and C (nice to have but not critical or time-sensitive).
- ⏳ Rank tasks within each category to determine which should be tackled first, especially focusing on A1 tasks that are most urgent.
- 🎯 Aim to accomplish one high-priority task (A1) rather than attempting multiple tasks and possibly achieving none.
- 🔄 Be flexible with your task list, moving tasks to different days if necessary to accommodate unexpected events or meetings.
- 🚫 Recognize that some tasks, especially C's, may not be as important as initially thought and can be postponed or removed from the list.
- 🕒 Plan your day effectively by allocating only 60-70% of your time to planned tasks, leaving room for unexpected events.
- 📈 Prioritization helps in managing stress and allows for a more organized and effective approach to work.
- 🌟 Stay subscribed to the channel for more expert advice on career and project management, including advanced prioritization techniques for projects.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the video?
-The main purpose of the video is to teach viewers how to prioritize tasks effectively to overcome feeling overwhelmed and to increase productivity.
Why is prioritization important for success according to the video?
-Prioritization is important for success because it helps meet deadlines, reduces stress, and allows for more effective and efficient work.
What is the first step in the prioritization process suggested by the video?
-The first step is to make a list of everything that is causing stress and needs to be prioritized, without worrying about the order of importance.
How should the list be organized after making the initial brain dump?
-The list should be organized into three columns labeled A, B, and C, where A contains time-sensitive and central items, B contains less time-sensitive but important items, and C contains everything else that is not critical or time-sensitive.
What does the video suggest for ranking tasks within the A column?
-Tasks within the A column should be ranked from A1 to A3 based on their urgency and importance for the current day.
Why is it recommended to rank tasks for the current day rather than for the entire week?
-Ranking tasks for the current day helps to focus on what needs to be accomplished immediately and prevents the feeling of being overwhelmed by too many tasks.
What should be done if all A tasks are completed during the day?
-If all A tasks are completed, it's suggested to move on to B tasks and, if there's still time, even some C tasks.
How does the video suggest dealing with unexpected tasks that pop in during the day?
-The video suggests planning for only 60-70% of the day and leaving 30-40% available to handle unexpected tasks or emergencies.
What is the significance of the 60/40 split mentioned in the video?
-The 60/40 split helps to prevent feeling overwhelmed by allowing flexibility to deal with unexpected events without getting stressed.
What additional resource is offered at the end of the video for viewers interested in project management?
-An additional resource is offered that helps viewers understand roadblocks to successful project deliverables and how to avoid project failures.
How can viewers engage with the channel and share their thoughts on prioritization?
-Viewers can subscribe to the channel, like the video, share it with others, and leave comments with their thoughts on prioritization.
Outlines
📝 Prioritization Basics: Overcoming Work Overwhelm
This paragraph introduces the video's focus on teaching viewers how to prioritize tasks to combat feelings of being overwhelmed at work. The speaker offers a special resource for better work and project management. The importance of prioritization is emphasized as a means to meet deadlines, reduce stress, and increase efficiency. The speaker also notes that priorities can be fluid and should be adjusted as needed. The first step in the prioritization process is to create a comprehensive list of all current tasks and responsibilities, regardless of their perceived importance.
📚 Organizing and Ranking Tasks for Effective Time Management
The speaker continues by detailing the next steps in the prioritization process: organizing the comprehensive list into three categories (A, B, and C) based on their time sensitivity and importance. Category A includes tasks that are central to meeting deadlines and are time-sensitive, while category B consists of less time-sensitive but still important tasks. Category C encompasses everything else that is neither time-sensitive nor critical. The speaker then explains the need to rank tasks within the A category from A1 to A3, based on urgency and feasibility within the day's schedule. The advice to focus on accomplishing one high-priority task rather than attempting multiple is given to avoid overwhelming stress. The paragraph concludes with the suggestion to incorporate B and C tasks if time permits after completing the A tasks, and the importance of reassessing the priority of C tasks is highlighted.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Prioritize
💡Overwhelmed
💡Deadline
💡Efficiency
💡Brain Dump
💡Inventory List
💡A, B, C Columns
💡Ranking
💡Subsequent Ranking
💡Fluid
💡60/40 Split
Highlights
The video teaches how to prioritize to overcome feeling overwhelmed at work.
A special offer at the end helps prioritize work and projects.
Subscribe for expert career and project management tips every Wednesday.
Prioritization is critical for meeting deadlines, reducing stress, and increasing efficiency.
Priorities can change and should be fluid based on shifting needs.
Create an inventory list by doing a brain dump of all current tasks causing stress.
Organize tasks into three columns: A for time-sensitive, B for important but less urgent, and C for non-essential.
Rank tasks within the A column from A1 to A3 based on daily urgency.
Focus on completing A1 tasks for the day to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
If A tasks are done, move on to B and C tasks as opportunities arise.
C tasks can often be deferred or removed, revealing their true importance.
Plan for only 60-70% of the day, leaving room for unexpected tasks and firefighting.
A 60/40 split prevents stress from trying to accomplish 100% of planned tasks.
The video concludes with a link to further improve prioritization skills for work success.
Encourages subscribing, liking, sharing, and commenting for more prioritization tips.
Transcripts
Do you feel like you're drowning at work and you don't know where to start in order to get out of
that feeling? Well, in this video, I'm going to teach you how to prioritize so you can leave that
overwhelmed feeling behind and say bye-bye. And if you stay tuned to the end of this video, I
have something really special for you that is not only going to help you prioritize your work, but
your projects as well, something really special. Hi, if you're new here, welcome. Subscribe to
the best career and project management channel with a new video coming to you
every Wednesday. So if you're really excited about learning how to prioritize at an expert level,
then you know what? Let's get to it. Sorry, like this video let's get to it.
Why prioritize tasks? Before we get into how to prioritize tasks, let's first understand
why we even have to look at this. The number one mistake I see over and over in the corporate world
and even personally as well is that everyone has multiple priorities and they're all competing,
even to a point where every single priority they have is a number one
priority. And then all of a sudden they don't know what to do and it becomes a standstill.
Understanding how to prioritize and realize that there is a sequential level to things
that is going to help you meet deadlines, is going to reduce your stress, is going to
allow you to be more effective and efficient. So that's why it's really important to understand
why prioritization is so critical to your success. I also want to throw in there too, take note that
prioritization is fluid and can be changed. So just because you named something as a number one,
things may change. You're allowed to shift it according to needs.
Make your list. This is the absolute first thing you have to do. I want you to do a brain dump of
everything that you have going on. That can even be menial things like paying your bills.
It doesn't matter. Don't worry about the order of importance. Just think about everything you
have happening right now that's causing you some stress and you need to really
prioritize. Just dump it all on a piece of paper. This is your inventory list.
Organize your list. Now this is the fun part. I want you to make three columns. Okay?
And when you do those three columns, I want you to think and start distributing your items into
these three columns of A, B and C. So what's A? A is items that are central to meeting a deadline
and are time-sensitive. So this could include some administrative matters that you mean you have to
do like paying bills or even ordering supplies because you have a certain deadline associated
with it. B would be other items that are less time-sensitive, but are of importance. And C
is really everything else, not time sensitive or critical. I kind of put things on this list,
nice to haves versus needs to have. Rank your tasks. So now that you have
taken your inventory list and you put them in an A, B and C column, you've dumped that all in.
You have to do one more level of ranking. And now you have to think about for today,
what do I have to get done? And that's where you go to your A's because you've already indicated
that they're extremely time-sensitive and important. So now of all those A's,
what do you have to get done today? And that's where you start ranking it from a 123 perspective.
So A1, A2, A3, but I want you to take note. I want you to think about what else you have
going on in the day. If you are in back-to-back meetings, putting down six A's with back-to-back
meetings, you're probably not going to accomplish them. So I want you to really think this through,
and that's why you're now going to start looking out in the week. Can you move an A2 to maybe the
next day, et cetera and et cetera? So just really think the sub, but now you have to do that A1, A2,
A3. And note, if you label something in as an A1, you need to get it done today.
That's how critical and important is. I'd rather have you just have one
item that you prioritize for today and accomplish it than have multiple ones and accomplish nothing.
It's too overwhelming. It gets very stressful. Now the cool thing is, let's say you've accomplished
all your one, twos and threes on the A side. You're allowed to put some B's in your day too,
because you may have an opening, this pocket of opportunity that you got all your A's done.
For sure, go to the B's. And if you want, throw in a C. There's nothing wrong with that.
What's really cool with the B's and C's is you start to see how important those things
are or not. And particularly with the C's, I've had in my own past
where I've had a C item and I've kind of carried it on. I pushed it out the next week
and the next week, because again, it wasn't important and wasn't really time-sensitive,
more nice to have items where ultimately I just took it off my list and I never did it because
I kept on pushing it out. So it was great insight for me to realize it really wasn't that important.
I didn't have to do it. So take note that that becomes really important as to rank it
and try to ensure that you put in the right amount based on what's happening in your day.
Stay on track. Now that you know how to prioritize with your inventory lists the A's and the 123s.
That's awesome. As I kind of alluded to in the previous step, I want you to really think about
how much time you put towards things. I only plan for 60, maybe 70% of my day and I leave
30 to 40% available because things just pop in and they happen. We have to firefight.
Unexpected things occur that is going to take me away from what I sort of planned for the day.
Nothing wrong with that. That's called life. So if you start thinking in that manner by
doing a 60/40 split and only planning for 60%, you're not going to feel overwhelmed.
I have never come across anyone who is able to do 100% of everything they planned out
ever, even myself and I've been doing this for a really long time and I'm extremely efficient,
extremely productive. Because things happen that are out of your control.
So if you plan for 60/40 split and plan for only 60, it allows you to deal with that 40% without
getting you stressed out. And again, it's a bigger picture aspect because you've probably
now spread out your other activities throughout a period of time because you're now ranking them
properly and looking at them in a different way. Now that you now know how to prioritize tasks,
congratulations. I cannot wait for you to start doing your A's, B's and C's, 123s. I would like
for you to go here. I want you to grab this from the link below. If you want to impress your boss
even more at work with your prioritization, take it to the next level by understanding
what happens with projects and failures. Now, if you're wondering, "I don't do projects,
Adriana." I'm going to say, I bet you on your task list, that inventory list you probably did
have a project. Something that you had to deliver on. Understand what some of those
roadblocks are to stop you from being successful with those deliverables is going to put you to
the next level. So definitely check it out. Don't forget to subscribe to this channel,
like this video, and please share it with all the friends and family and colleagues that you know.
I really appreciate it. If you have anything to share with me regarding how you prioritize,
I would love to hear from you. Please put it in the comments below. Until the next video, see you.
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