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HOW TO PLAN AND PRIORITIZE FOR SUCCESS IN 2022
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do? Or maybe you’re constantly busy, but your to-do list never seems to get done. It may be the time to try a different approach.
I’m sure you would like nothing more than to get through all your tasks for the day, so you can completely shut off and rest when it comes to an end, without worrying about what still needs to get done.
Working through your small goals everyday, brings you closer and closer to achieving those big dreams you have; but that can only be done once you’ve mastered your time and are able to manage your schedule.
Well, if that’s what you struggle with, then these practical steps are just what you need:
1. Set Your Goals
Each one of us has a lot we want to achieve. We all have that innate drive to become something, but most people fail to achieve their goals simply because they don’t set those goals in the right way.
The most important thing is to begin with the end in mind. It’s important to visualize how you want your future to look. Not a vague, generic picture, you need to be detailed with your vision for your future. Whether it’s the life you want to live one day, the side-hustle you want to build into a business or becoming a notable speaker - think about what the day-to-day of that life might look like, consider what more you would need to do to make your side-hustle your main thing, your team, your revenue and how you would scale, and think about which major events you would one day like to speak at or what kind of crowds you would like to speak to.
You need to get clear on your ultimate vision, in detail, before you can start planning and working at building it. Your vision will give you direction and purpose, which will add to your drive and focus; which will help you push through the more challenging times.
This process of envisioning also serves as a pleasant reminder of what you are working towards, so that even when you’re struggling to work through a mundane job or you’re not where you want to be, you can be inspired by knowing that your efforts are helping you get closer to realizing your dream.
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2. Formulate A Plan
It’s a known fact, the best way to successfully achieve your goals, is to plan and there’s more to it than simply writing up a to-do list.
Create a list of tasks and activities you need to get through everyday. Write your list in your time planner, on an app or even in your work calendar; this will allow you to time your tasks and get to know how long it takes you to complete different things. Make sure you tick off the items you’ve completed as you go along, as that affirms your efforts through the day and can be encouraging.
Be specific about what you need to do. When planning your day, don’t just say, “create a new content plan for next month” or “do a budget for the new business.” Break down your big tasks into smaller activities you can complete in a day. You can’t necessarily do an entire budget in a day, but you can set up a spreadsheet for salaries and list all of your expenses. You may not be able to complete a content plan in one day, but you can set up the framework and add notable dates and holidays to your content calendar.
3. Prioritize Your Success
Now that you’ve established a plan of action and tasks you need to complete to reach your goals, you need to prioritize which should be done first.
You may be tempted to make everything a “high” or “urgent” priority, but you’ll need to be cautious of that. Shifting between too many things may cause you to lose focus and a lot of time. And with time being the most limited resource, it’s essential to focus first on those things that are of top priority.
Here is an effective method of prioritizing we’ve tried that you can use:
The ABC [or 1,2,3] METHOD
A - critical tasks that need to get done as soon as possible. Be careful not to add a lot of tasks here, or you will frequently end up in work mode all the time, which can cause burnout.
B - these tasks certainly need to get done, but not immediately and may be done in a few days. The goal is to complete most of your B priorities, as that indicates a proactive state.
C - optional tasks that are not as urgent and have a deadline far off in the future.
The ABC method ensures you keep on seeing progress; and ensures the vital tasks that bring you closer to your big goals are always completed on time.
Big goals are accumulations of the achievement of your small goals. Prioritizing and planning is usually the easy bit; taking action and staying consistent however, is what gets you to living your dream.
How can you stay consistent with your efforts?
Find an accountability partner to share your goals and plans with. Having someone to review your progress makes you more likely to keep your head in the game.
It’s okay to re-evaluate your plan periodically to see what isn’t working and try other strategies, if necessary.
Don’t be stuck in the planning stage for too long; we often take too much time reasoning at the possibilities that the actual work is left behind. Just do it!
F.O.C.U.S. Follow. One. Course. Until. Success.
Do it even when you don’t feel like it. Be consistent even when you don’t feel like it. You will often feel grateful and happy that you pushed through.
And in the words of the fabulous Denzel Washington, remember this, “without commitment, you will never start, and without consistency, you will never finish.”