This is a priority…or is it?

I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel more like a circus performer, specifically a juggler than a business owner.

There are so many demands placed on my time…actually let’s be honest …there are so many demands that I place on my time.  There are so many things that I feel I have to get done immediately.  There are so many things I want to do just because they are awesome ideas.

The problem is that time and my energy are limited. I know that I as much as I’d like to, I can’t do everything that I want to do, especially not to the level that I want it done.  Something has to give.  The key is to make sure that you make a conscious decision about what gets done and what gives.  That means setting priorities.

The following five questions work to help set your priorities.  You can use them on a daily basis to assess your plan for the day or on a larger scale to assess the projects you plan to do for your business.

1.     If there was only one thing I could do what would it be?

2.     What can I do to move this forward one step?

3.     What would I tell someone else to do first?

4.     If I do this, what won’t I be able to do?

5.     If I don’t do this, what can I do?

One thing to note: In an ideal world you would be able to focus all of your attention on your number one priority and work on it until it’s done but that’s an ideal world and not the real world.

So here’s what I suggest you do.  Look at your top few priorities and then within those first few tasks look at the few steps you can take to move that particular project forward.  Give yourself permission to move between those tasks as your day passes.

What are you going to put on your priority list?  I’d love to know.  Share your thoughts with me here.