How To Prioritize At Work So You Can Get More Done

What is your typical work day like?

Is it one where you are rather productive and get a lot done or one in which you constantly miss deadlines?

Do you walk in and begin to work on tasks in any random order or do you know exactly where you want to begin?

Do you have a certain checklist that you do every morning before anything else and then when that is finished not know where to go next?

Or do you have so much to do that you don’t even know where to begin?

If any of those sounds like you then keep reading!

You can most certainly get our day under control. All it takes is a little prioritizing and commitment.

Here is a list that helps me prioritize my work day. Use it as is or tweak what you need to 🙂

Make a to do list

When you arrive at work, the first thing you should do is write down everything you need to accomplish. Don’t just think of the items that need to be done that day, but also anything with a deadline further down the road as well. Get it off your mind and onto a piece of paper or on your computer (or wherever works best for you).

Write down deadlines next to each task

Figure out when you need to get each task done and write the date down next to the task. If you don’t have a specific deadline then put down the date that you would like to have it completed by.

Order your tasks to be done that day

Use a separate piece of paper when you write down the order in which you will work. When you order, start with any tasks that need to be finished that same day. Order them one of two ways:

1. Order of importance first OR
2. The most difficult task first

If something is urgent then you must get it done right away and I would put that first on your list. But if that is not the case and you have a difficult or creative task on your list, it might be a good idea to get that done first. Often when we push those types of tasks off, we get too tired and lose interest later in the day to get them done.

However, if you are someone that does better as the day goes on, then I would suggest placing that task at the time of day when you are at your best.

Order the rest of your tasks

If you have time to get anything else done after what was due that day, take a look at the rest of your tasks. Are there any that are more pressing than others? Maybe some are more time consuming and so you should spend a few minutes working on them everyday. Put that on your list. Other maybe ones that you can put on the back burner for awhile.

This part is a bit subjective and so you will need to use your best judgement. Don’t push off anything too far that you know you shouldn’t wait to do until the last minute. That will only set you up for disaster!

Get ready for the next day

When you leave that day (or the next day when you arrive), take a look back through your old list. Make sure you crossed off all items that you finished. Then add anything new that may have come up and start the process over.

Prioritizing is so important in order to be productive at work. It will help you meet deadlines and keep you busy. Make sure your boss knows how you are prioritizing. Perhaps you can use these steps and guidelines to creating and implementing your own process at work that will impress everyone!