Setting priorities is important to well-being, performance, and builds resilience. Knowing it’s important is one thing knowing how is another. Life can get in our way of taking time to determine our priorities and set them. How do we ensure we focus on what truly matters most?
Below are Seven How to Steps to Setting Priorities
How to Set Priorities
Step 1: Identify Your Core Values
What is most important to you? Your core values are the guiding principles that shape your decisions and behavior.
Ask yourself:
Step 2: Set Clear Goals & Intentions
Once you’ve identified your core values, the next step is to translate them into specific goals and intentions. Clear goals provide direction to help you stay focused on what’s important.
Set SMART Goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-bound.
For example, if financial stability is a core value a SMART goal could look like: “Allocate $100 per pay check for savings for retirement.”
Step 3: Break Large Goals into Smaller Steps
Big goals can feel like too much or overwhelming. When we break them down into smaller tasks it can makes them feel less overwhelming. Each micro step is forward progress on the bigger goal. You can prioritize these smaller micro steps into your day to gain a sense of progress.
Step 4: Determine Urgent vs. Important
Consider this quote by Patrick Lencioni”, If everything is important than nothing is. I share this with many clients as we uncover their priorities and how to prioritize.
Not all tasks carry the same weight and importance.
Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize and prioritize your tasks in your to do list:
When we focus on the most important tasks, our time, energy and resources are spent on what really matters most and this in turn moves us forward.
Step 5: Boundaries - Say No
Saying "No" can be challenging and a resiliency skill I work with clients with daily. Setting and keeping boundaries are essential for keeping your priorities yours versus others. You’ll spend less time and energy on things that don’t matter to you. Learning to say, “No, not now, or I need to check my calendar”, are ways to politely decline things that don’t align with your priorities. Boundaries are forms of self-care and resiliency.
Step 6: Time-Blocking for Focused Productivity
Now that you have priorities and goals. It’s time to time-block. When we schedule time-blocks into our calendar with dedicate focused time to make progress on our priorities. Time-blocking is mindfully and intentionally scheduling specific blocks of time for your high-priority tasks and goals. This can also help minimize distractions and procrastination which equals getting things done that are most important to us.
An example, I block of morning from 8:30 – 10 for writing blogs, my sweet spot for creativity with fewer interruptions and distractions. I keep midday and afternoons open for clients and administrative tasks.
Step 7: Regularly Review and Adjust
Our priorities will change as our needs and lives change. Schedule regular reviews to see how you might want to adjust your priorities. Regular review can look like weekly, monthly or quarterly, whatever works best for you. Remember to time-block this review time as well. Check in with your core values and goals. Do you want to change or is something new more important? Change is normal and part of life. Remaining flexible is key to keeping forward movement and your priorities set.
How might you incorporate these steps into your life?
Setting priorities is about more than just managing tasks and goals, it’s aligning with our values and what’s most important. When we mindfully and intentionally set our priorities, we then get to focus on what’s most important to us which can improve our well-being and reduce overwhelm. We get to spend our valuable time and energy on things that bring joy and fulfillment.
Here’s to intentionally and mindfully setting your priorities so that you can live the life you want.
If you or someone you know would like support setting priorities, building resilience, career development, change, or has been knocked down reach out and contact me. I provide a safe place to find courage and live boldly.
Latest Client Wins: “Thank you for resume coaching.”. “You really hear and understand me, I’m appreciative.”, “I journaled and listed my losses it really helped., Thank you.” Celebrating client wins. Look at them taking action and setting priorities! They are inspiring!
I have space for 2 additional clients in September & October. If you or someone you know would like support in your career, setting priorities, becoming resilient or bouncing back, please contact me. Let’s have a conversation to see how I can be of support.
Follow me on social media for insightful contemplation prompts, tips, and motivational quotes.
Peace, and blessings,
Teresa – Taking time to review and reprioritize my priorities.
Teresa Q. Bitner, M.Ed., PMP, PCC - Resiliency, Change and Loss Coach
Partnering with those who have been knocked down by life and want to build resiliency and move forward and live a bold life.
[email protected]
www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com
Author of:
· Soul Love: How A Dog Taught Me to Breathe Again
· The First Days: Coping with Life after Loss (updated 2nd edition)
· Explorations into the Being and Doing of Coaching: A collection of voices, insights, and wisdom from Austin area coaches
· My Journey as a Widow: A Widow’s First Journal
Below are Seven How to Steps to Setting Priorities
How to Set Priorities
Step 1: Identify Your Core Values
What is most important to you? Your core values are the guiding principles that shape your decisions and behavior.
Ask yourself:
- What do I care most about in life? (career, family, friends, health, financial stability, career growth, personal development)
- What do I value?
- What makes me feel fulfilled?
- Where do I want to see change or growth?
Step 2: Set Clear Goals & Intentions
Once you’ve identified your core values, the next step is to translate them into specific goals and intentions. Clear goals provide direction to help you stay focused on what’s important.
Set SMART Goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-bound.
For example, if financial stability is a core value a SMART goal could look like: “Allocate $100 per pay check for savings for retirement.”
Step 3: Break Large Goals into Smaller Steps
Big goals can feel like too much or overwhelming. When we break them down into smaller tasks it can makes them feel less overwhelming. Each micro step is forward progress on the bigger goal. You can prioritize these smaller micro steps into your day to gain a sense of progress.
Step 4: Determine Urgent vs. Important
Consider this quote by Patrick Lencioni”, If everything is important than nothing is. I share this with many clients as we uncover their priorities and how to prioritize.
Not all tasks carry the same weight and importance.
Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize and prioritize your tasks in your to do list:
- Urgent & Important: Do it now and before other tasks (ex: deadlines, emergencies)
- NOT Urgent & Important: Decide and/or Plan and schedule time for these (ex: focus time for bigger projects, long-term goals, self-care)
- NOT Important & Urgent: Delay and/or Delegate when possible (ex: busy work, other people’s work, interruptions, lower priority tasks, who could help you with this task or do it for you?)
- Neither Important nor Urgent: Delete and minimize these (ex: thankless tasks, distractions, timewasters, things you’ve always done but no longer serve a purpose)
When we focus on the most important tasks, our time, energy and resources are spent on what really matters most and this in turn moves us forward.
Step 5: Boundaries - Say No
Saying "No" can be challenging and a resiliency skill I work with clients with daily. Setting and keeping boundaries are essential for keeping your priorities yours versus others. You’ll spend less time and energy on things that don’t matter to you. Learning to say, “No, not now, or I need to check my calendar”, are ways to politely decline things that don’t align with your priorities. Boundaries are forms of self-care and resiliency.
Step 6: Time-Blocking for Focused Productivity
Now that you have priorities and goals. It’s time to time-block. When we schedule time-blocks into our calendar with dedicate focused time to make progress on our priorities. Time-blocking is mindfully and intentionally scheduling specific blocks of time for your high-priority tasks and goals. This can also help minimize distractions and procrastination which equals getting things done that are most important to us.
An example, I block of morning from 8:30 – 10 for writing blogs, my sweet spot for creativity with fewer interruptions and distractions. I keep midday and afternoons open for clients and administrative tasks.
Step 7: Regularly Review and Adjust
Our priorities will change as our needs and lives change. Schedule regular reviews to see how you might want to adjust your priorities. Regular review can look like weekly, monthly or quarterly, whatever works best for you. Remember to time-block this review time as well. Check in with your core values and goals. Do you want to change or is something new more important? Change is normal and part of life. Remaining flexible is key to keeping forward movement and your priorities set.
How might you incorporate these steps into your life?
Setting priorities is about more than just managing tasks and goals, it’s aligning with our values and what’s most important. When we mindfully and intentionally set our priorities, we then get to focus on what’s most important to us which can improve our well-being and reduce overwhelm. We get to spend our valuable time and energy on things that bring joy and fulfillment.
Here’s to intentionally and mindfully setting your priorities so that you can live the life you want.
If you or someone you know would like support setting priorities, building resilience, career development, change, or has been knocked down reach out and contact me. I provide a safe place to find courage and live boldly.
Latest Client Wins: “Thank you for resume coaching.”. “You really hear and understand me, I’m appreciative.”, “I journaled and listed my losses it really helped., Thank you.” Celebrating client wins. Look at them taking action and setting priorities! They are inspiring!
I have space for 2 additional clients in September & October. If you or someone you know would like support in your career, setting priorities, becoming resilient or bouncing back, please contact me. Let’s have a conversation to see how I can be of support.
Follow me on social media for insightful contemplation prompts, tips, and motivational quotes.
Peace, and blessings,
Teresa – Taking time to review and reprioritize my priorities.
Teresa Q. Bitner, M.Ed., PMP, PCC - Resiliency, Change and Loss Coach
Partnering with those who have been knocked down by life and want to build resiliency and move forward and live a bold life.
[email protected]
www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com
Author of:
· Soul Love: How A Dog Taught Me to Breathe Again
· The First Days: Coping with Life after Loss (updated 2nd edition)
· Explorations into the Being and Doing of Coaching: A collection of voices, insights, and wisdom from Austin area coaches
· My Journey as a Widow: A Widow’s First Journal
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