Having so many things to do can be a blessing in disguise. It can help you keep your mind occupied and you will not be distracted from your normal course if you have so much to do. It will be motivating to go through the list of things you have to do and finish the difficult tasks, as it can provide a great sense of accomplishment. However, the one downside to this is deciding on which task to finish first and prioritizing them can be a daunting task.
The latest technologies can only add more oil to the fire. Smartphones and latest connectivity devices can help you catch up on email messages while you’re at the grocery store, but now you’ll also be receiving messages while you’re trying to enjoy your best friend’s wedding. Unfortunately, this has led to a new level of stress people are now faced with. The work-life boundaries have blurred so much which is another indicator to an increase in stress levels experienced by people.
In the 21st century, time management is one of the biggest challenges faced by leaders. As a business owner, you might dedicate more time and attention to unimportant tasks and little time to the important works, unless you are really careful. As a good leader, you should be able to prioritize your work efficiently. This is equally important as influencing your employees.
As Dwight D. Eisenhower, the general turned US president once told, “I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. What is urgent is seldom important, and what is important is seldom urgent.” He said this while sharing his opinion about decision making. Over the course of his life, this man has made many successful and tough decisions, which has inspired him to come up with the much famous Eisenhower Principle. This principle helps leaders across the world prioritize things by importance and urgency. He clearly understood the importance of prioritizing, as did the author Steven Covey. He is the one who popularized the Eisenhower Matrix.
There are four segments to the matrix and it allows you to classify every activity that you undertake per its importance and urgency. Get into the habit of using Eisenhower Matrix to increase your business productivity and to cut down stress. The important categories of the matrix are discussed below.
Do Now
The tasks that are present in this section of the matrix are urgent and important. You need to devote a good part of your time to these tasks. The tasks in this part are of high priority and they need to be finished as early as possible. An example would be replying to an email message that requires an urgent answer. In addition, you need to consider all those tasks that have accumulated with non negotiable deadlines and penalties for failure to submit on time. You need to address these tasks, else there will be consequences.
Schedule
The tasks in this section are important ones, but not very urgent. However, they still need you to devote time to organize and schedule them. Most of them will be long term goals, like completing a book, arranging meetings and discussions, getting professional certifications, etc. This may also include filing taxes, setting up quarterly performance reviews, fixing doctor’s appointments, etc. The best thing about these tasks is that you can work on them whenever you choose. You just need to remember to schedule the time to finish the work. You can also create follow-ups to remind you of the scheduled tasks.
Delegate
This is the section that is dedicated to the tasks that are urgent but not so important. These are the jobs that are meant to be delegated to others. For instance, if graphic designing isn’t your cup of tea, you shouldn’t waste time on such tasks. Delegate them to the concerned department. Likewise, many beneficial details can come from your business meetings, and you don’t need to be personally present in the meetings to get the benefits. You just need to delegate a note taker to the meeting and use the time to do other priority tasks.
Eliminate
There can be many unimportant activities that waste your time. These tasks fall into this category and include the usual distractions like texting or gaming on phones, checking the email inbox and social media profiles and so on. You need to get rid of all these unwanted bad habits as they are real time wasters, preventing you from finishing the high priority tasks. This does not mean that you should never indulge in these unimportant activities. After all, we all are human beings and need leisure time. Just make sure that you have your downtime when time isn’t of much essence.
