6 Ways to Line Up Your Priorities and Boost Your Business

Do you ever have the moment where you feel so overwhelmed by all you have to do that you don’t get anything done? For anyone, whether an employee or an owner, it can be a frustrating and scary place to be.

What can stop you from feeling so overwhelmed in the workplace?

Strategic prioritization.

When your priorities are clear and actionable, then you’ll be able to carry out tasks more efficiently. As far as business strategies go, the ability to prioritize well is among the most effective. Not only will you be able to keep a handle on your own tasks, but you’ll be well-equipped to communicate them clearly and effectively to the rest of your team.

6 Ways to Nail Down Your Workplace Priorities

1. Separate Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Revisiting your goals is always necessary, especially when your business has a long legacy. Even if your goals are clear, it’s not enough to just have short-term or long-term goals. You need both of them, and you need them to be clear and actionable. Long-term goals frame your overall strategy, while short-term goals move you closer to achieving them in a real, tangible way.

1. Free Up Room for Big-Picture Work

When you allow yourself to get too bogged down in small, manual tasks, it traps you too much in the weeds. Being in the weeds, nine times out of ten, just wastes time. Beware of zooming in too close to a project or task, or getting so caught up in technical details that you miss the big picture. Make use of technology and good systems that will allow you to complete tasks more efficiently.

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1. Have an Organized System

Speaking of systems, a well-organized system is absolutely key to a productive business. If you’re looking for something, can you find it immediately? Not only do you need to be physically organized through apps, filing systems and general cleanliness, but mentally organized. If your head is full of clutter, get it out. Write it down. Make a physical, old-fashioned to-do list if that’s what it takes!

1. Recognize When Things Change

Business priorities shift. Sometimes entire companies change focus. If you’ve found that you’re passionate about something within your business that diverts from the original mission, maybe you should embrace it. Priorities change, and we should take the time to recognize it and examine their place within our businesses.

1. Plan for the “How”

Goals alone don’t get things done. Most people will tell you that the key to keeping New Years’ resolutions is through daily, specific goals, rather than a generalized, far-off one. While it’s all well and good to have a goal, achieving it is impossible if you don’t make room for the “how.” Plan out the steps. How are you going to achieve? Figure it out.

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1. Practice Efficient Scheduling

Keep narrowing things down. You have your long-term goals. You have short-term goals. You have a plan to achieve them. Now put it on the schedule! Give yourself clear tasks every day that will further your goals. Not all will necessarily feel productive (like conducting research or trying out a new way of doing things), but scheduling yourself, especially in order or priority, will keep you on track, staying productive and equipped to balance everything that needs to be done.

How do you manage work when it seems like too much is going on? Tell us your tips in the comments.

image credit: John Schultz