Could, should, Must do...

A few months back I started to shift into a similar mindset to what is shown in the image in that not everything is a priority and that you can streamline your work in could do, should do and must do. I also looked at processes that could help me with how I should start off with setting priorities. Setting priorities can be really tricky to do especially if there are complex and difficult tasks which may be a number one priority to somebody else.

Before taking on additional work I have started to ask myself a selection of these questions. I’ve listed my own questions below as I wondered if others either did the same or would find them useful.

Question 1 - Am I the best person to take on an action?

If i’m not do I know somebody else who I could involve (I’m really good at networking).

Question 2 - Is there somebody else around me who’d benefit more from the opportunity or experience to take on the task?

Remembering that sometimes it may actually be somebody else's full time job or even somebody interested in learning more with time spare e.g. graduate wanting to learn project management skills.

Question 3 - Does the amount of learning I’d need to do to complete the task really add value?

If it takes me 3-4 weeks to learn something new but we only ever get a 2 pieces of work once a year that need these skills is it worth investing time? Sometimes you will also find that there is existing skills, knowledge or talent out there you just need to connect the dots.

Question 4 - Am I taking on a task purely because it sounds fun and my ADHD impulsivity has kicked in….

My hand would often go? knowing full well that I will likely never have time to actually do the task! I used to often put my hand up for the new shiny things whilst trying to add another plate to my already vast spinning collection of plates, however I’d quickly overload myself and complete nothing at all.

Question 5 -Before committing to anything new or saying something out loud ‘take an extra breath’ trust me it helps…

Begin by then asking ‘when does the work or task need to be completed?’ and 'what is the priority?' and is there anything I should be aware of? as this will help you determine if you have the capacity to do it.

However rule number one ‘Don’t stop being you’

It is important to always trust your own gut instinct but also take on board the advice others around you may be sharing. Some of the best decisions I have made in life have been as a result of ignoring all 5 questions above and diving in feet first. It’s also ok to share what existing workload you have with others as quite often a compromise can be met and priorities around the work adjusted.

I hope this helps, feel free to share you own thoughts, processes or ideas around how you managed priority.

This article was inspired by Steven Bartlett and in particular his podcast 'Diary of a CEO'. Thank you.