Jedna legenda kaže da je prije 70-ak godina, poznati biznismen upitao konzultanta da ga pouči upravljati svojim vremenom. Konzultant mu je dao naočigled jednostavan savjet: „Svaku noć prije spavanja napiši šest stvari koje sutra moraš napraviti i poredaj ih prema važnosti.“ Na pitanje o cijeni savjeta, konzultant je odgovorio biznismenu da slijedi ovaj savjet nekoliko mjeseci i potom mu pošalje ček na iznos koliko je savjet vrijedio. Nakon par mjeseci dobio je ček na 25 000 dolara!
The Importance of Clear Priorities
Today’s pace of life is heavily dictated by a multitude of daily obligations across all areas of life, as well as the numerous roles those areas bring with them. Consequently, it is incredibly easy to get lost in this sea of obligations—provided, of course, that we do not have our priorities straight.
The advice from the beginning of this column is one of the fundamental steps that all of us should follow. I would also add that besides listing your priorities, you should write down next to each one the time required to complete it and the level of stress it causes.
Daily Schedule
If we want to upgrade our existing time management and prioritization system, creating a daily schedule of tasks is highly beneficial. Writing down the tasks we need to complete forces us to plan our time, and it also serves as a commitment to actually following through. An additional benefit of writing down tasks is the sense of satisfaction when we can finally cross an item off the list, which simultaneously motivates us to be more productive in the future.
When you decide to take this step, start your week by listing all the obligations you need to fulfill that you are aware of at that moment. After that, every night before bed or at the end of the workday, list tomorrow’s tasks and leave some free time for unexpected tasks.
Organizing Priorities
When you enter the battle with your daily tasks, handle the most important thing first. Be aware that when we establish priorities, we are guided by the criteria of urgency and importance. Something urgent is something we must do immediately, while something important is something that moves us toward a goal, though it may not necessarily be urgent. If we set poor priorities, we spend all our time doing only what is urgent, and we fail to invest enough time and effort into the things that could take us where we want to be in the future.
Finally, remember that setting priorities and precise planning—just as I am proposing here—requires you to acclimate and adjust your current planning style, so do not be too critical of yourself at the start. However, this method is your closest guarantee that you will stay on track and achieve your short-term and long-term goals.
