Never Miss a Deadline with These Prioritization Methods
Knowing how to prioritize work is one of the biggest struggles in the modern workplace. Everything feels important, and workloads are ballooning. However, the reality is, a lot of work that we do every day doesn’t really need to be done. At least not on an immediate basis. This blog discusses how you can prioritize work and meet deadlines by using some of the best prioritization methods.
Use the ABCDE method to separate tasks with seemingly similar properties
In comparison to some of the popular prioritization methods, the ABCDE method doesn’t keep every task on a single priority level but provides two or more levels for every task. Here’s how it works:
§ Review your list, giving every task a letter from A to E, with A being at the highest priority.
§ For every task with an A, assign it a number which dictates the order you’ll do it in.
§ Repeat until every task has numbers and letters.
This prioritization strategy is deceptively simple yet effective.
Use the Eisenhower Matrix to separate the important from the urgent
This matrix comprises a simple, four-quadrant box that helps you to separate the ‘urgent’ from the ‘important’ ones.
Basically, urgent tasks are things you need to react to immediately, like news, texts, phone calls, or emails. On the other hand, important tasks are those that contribute to your long-term goals, values, and mission.
When looking to prioritize a task as best as you could, ask which of the quadrants they best fit in, and then tackle them accordingly.
Use the Ivy Lee method to rank your work by its true priority
This method is a ridiculously easy way to force prioritization of your daily work. Here’s how it works:
§ After the end of every day, jot down the six most important tasks that are needed to be achieved tomorrow. Remember, limit yourself to six tasks only.
§ After arriving tomorrow, focus on just the first task. Before moving on to the next one, work until the first task is completed.
§ The real order of your list must be approached in the same fashion. After the day ends, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the next day.
§ Repeat this process every day
Restricting yourself to six tasks every day builds a constraint that forces you to prioritize properly, and staying focused by single-tasking your way through your list.
Use Warren Buffet’s 2-list strategy to cut out good enough goals
It doesn’t matter how effective and efficient you are every day if you’re not working towards the right goal. That’s why periodically reassessing your long-term priorities and goals is a good idea to ensure you’re on the right path.
The first step is to note down your top 25 goals. This could be education goals, career goals, life goals, or anything else you want to spend your time on.
Now, review your list and circle the top five goals.
Finally, any goal that isn’t circled goes on an ‘avoid at all cost’ list. Instead of working on these goals when you have time, you should avoid them actively. These are the tasks that seem important enough to deserve your attention, but are becoming a hindrance in your path of achieving your long-term goals.
Set the tone of your day by ‘eating the frog’
After you’re done prioritizing your most important work, it’s now time to choose how to attack the day.
It is important for your day to start right, because it sets the tone for the day. And usually, getting a hairy, large, yet important task out of the way first thing offers you energy, inspiration, and momentum to keep moving.
OpusView, workplace social software is a modern solution to prioritize and execute work activities more effectively to achieve greater success.












