Sometimes it feels like the whole world is about to collapse in an instant. Loads of work and school responsibilities, coupled with household chores and commitments to friends and family – sometimes there comes a time when 24 hours just isn't enough. Learning how to prioritize effectively can make you a more efficient worker, save time, effort, and avoid stress. Learn how to organize your tasks into specific categories and levels of difficulty, then start dealing with them like a pro. See Step 1 for more information.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Creating a To-Do List
Step 1. Determine the time frame for the list you want to design
Are you going to have a very busy week? Crazy day? There may be times when thinking about everything you need to do before the end of the year will make it hard to breathe. Regardless of the type of commitment you have, choose a time frame for the list of priorities you want to design so you can start setting priorities and translating stress into meaningful action.
- Short Term Goals generally include things with a variety of categories. You may have some work to do at the end of the day, errands that you need to take care of before you head home, and responsibilities at home that are also waiting for you to come home. You can make a list of stressors, which are everything that needs to be done in the next few hours.
- Long Term Goals includes larger ambitions that need to be broken down into steps that also need to be prioritized. You can put "applying to college" on your long-term to-do list, which will involve several different small activities. Actions to break down big ambitions like the example above will simplify and simplify the process.
Step 2. Write down everything you need to do
Start breaking it down and jotting down what you really need to do with the things that are present in your life. In a stress-inducing time frame, jot down all the tasks - both large and small - that need to be completed and write them down. Keep track of the projects that need to be run, the decisions that need to be made, and the tasks that need to be done.
Step 3. Categorize the things you need to do
Breaking a list of everything into separate categories might be what you need, which is basically designing separate to-do lists for the various areas of your life. Homework can fall into one category, while work projects or school projects fall into another. If you have a fairly busy social life, there will be lots of activities on the weekends that you need to prepare and prioritize. Create a separate list for each area.
Also, if you choose to keep everything in one list, you can create a single list that includes all your household chores and responsibilities, work commitments, and things that are necessary for your social life. If you feel overwhelmed when you look at it, perhaps jotting down everything and juxtaposing it with others will help you determine the importance of certain tasks over others
Step 4. Arrange the list in a specific order
Identify the most important or urgent activities on the list and rewrite the list by placing it at the top. It all comes down to you and the topics on the list. Therefore you can write school activities on top of work projects or vice versa.
Also, if they are all equally urgent and important, write a list in no particular order and arrange them alphabetically or randomly. What's important is that you actively tick off the completed tasks on the list
Step 5. Make the list always visible
This is especially true for long-term lists, keep your list somewhere that will always be visible so you can use it as a reminder of the things that need to be done, don't forget to always tick or cross off the things that have been done.
- If you're making an analog list on a piece of paper, hang it somewhere you'll usually always see it, for example on the refrigerator door or the bulletin board near the front door, or your office wall.
- Another way is that you can keep the list open on your desktop while you work on other things, so that the list will always be fresh in your mind. Then you can delete the things in the list that you have worked on.
- Post-it notes can also be effective reminders to stick around the house. If you stick Post-it notes reminding you to do writing assignments on the television screen, you'll be reminded to do important tasks instead of wasting time doing something less productive.
Part 2 of 3: Prioritizing Your Project
Step 1. Sort by the importance of each task
What is the most important thing on your list? In general, you may decide that work/school duties take precedence over social and home duties, although things outside of that may also be present. For example, you have to eat and shower, while washing clothes can be done another day while you complete an important work project.
Define several different levels of criteria, perhaps three, to sort the tasks or items on your list. The importance of tasks is arranged according to criteria high, medium and low. Dividing tasks or items on a list based on these criteria is probably the best and simplest way to rank the importance of the tasks. Be wise when deciding.
Step 2. Rank the urgency of each task
Consider the deadlines you have set and your ability to work to deadlines. What should be done at the beginning? What needs to be done at the end of the day? What are some things or tasks that you can put off completing?
It's important to consider the length of time it will take to complete each task, even if it's necessary to set a time for certain things. If you think exercising every day is a priority, but you have some work to do, set a 30-minute workout time and find space to include it
Step 3. Rank the amount of effort required for each task
It may be necessary to do a post office at the end of the day, but it's not an overly difficult task. Organize everything on your list according to their difficulty level so you'll know how to organize them compared to other tasks.
Using criteria such as Difficult, Medium, and Easy to rank them can be an effective way, rather than comparing them to each other. Don't worry too much about the arrangement before you tag each item with its own rating
Step 4. Compare all the tasks and build the list
Put a list of the most important and urgent tasks at the top that also require the least amount of effort to complete and maximize your work within the allotted time frame for it.
Part 3 of 3: Working on List Items
Step 1. Do one thing at a time and do it until it's done
Working through the items on the list by sorting and doing each task little by little will make task execution difficult. After a few hours, you'll see the list is the same as it was at the beginning: it's not completely finished. Instead of working little by little on each item, do one thing to completion and then move on to the next after taking a short break. Don't work on anything else on the list until you're done with the things at the top and most important.
Another way is that you can search for projects from several lists that might work together effectively. While it's not a good idea to review math notes and write history papers at the same time, you might want to sit at the laundromat and wait for your clothes to dry while studying to save time on important tasks
Step 2. Decide what can be delegated and what can be left
If the Internet in your home is down, it might be tempting to go to the library, find some wi-fi literature so you can diagnose the problem from the start, but this isn't possible if you have to prepare dinner, rating twenty papers tomorrow. day, and doing fifty other things. Otherwise wouldn't it be better to contact the cable company?
Sometimes you may get rid of certain things you don't need to do yourself or delegate tasks that will end up wasting your time. You can buy expensive new fencing wire, or you can use old wire frantically looking for it in the junkyard, sifting through it for a few hours in the hot sun. But if it turns out to save a little money, it may be more efficient to buy new wire
Step 3. Change the various items and tasks on your list
Switching up the various activities you do will help keep you energized while performing those tasks and help you move on to the next task more quickly. Alter your to-do list with your to-do list to become the most effective worker you can be. Take a short break between tasks and do a different one. This will keep you energized and efficient.
Step 4. Start with the least desirable or most difficult tasks
Depending on the character you have, it's a good idea to start a job that you don't like the most. It doesn't always have to be the hardest job or the most important thing, but getting it done early so you can do something else that's more enjoyable is generally more effective for some people.
Your English essay may be more important than your math homework, but if you really hate math, it's a good idea to finish it first so you can spend all the time you need solely on essays. Give your full attention to the task
Step 5. Prioritize importance over urgency in some cases
You may find yourself in a situation where you only have 10 minutes to make your way across town to the library to pick up the latest Game of Thrones disc you ordered, making it the most pressing item on your list. But actually that time is better spent doing more important tasks like completing your English essay. You'll get more time for yourself by putting off picking up the DVD until the next day, when you have more time for it.
Step 6. Tick the tasks on the list after you have completed them
Safe! As you look at your to-do list, take a happy time to mark all the tasks as completed, delete them from the file, or cut them off the paper with a rusty penknife and burn the cut off. Take a minute to reward yourself for every little accomplishment you've accomplished. You've successfully completed it!
Equipment
- Pencil
- Paper
- Highlighters
Tips
- Consider dividing a long task into several shorter tasks. Short tasks are less daunting and easier to carry out.
- Take time to rest, relax and gather new spirits.
- Ask for help. Delegate part of your list to family or friends.
- Be realistic about what can be achieved in a given time.
- With school projects, things that are worth more or need to be done quickly should be placed at the top of the list.
- If two tasks have the same importance or urgency, prioritize those that require the least amount of effort to complete.
- Tasks that require more effort need to be set aside longer to complete.
- Set aside time for the unexpected.
- Half an hour to an hour per task is a sufficient amount of time to concentrate on a particular task before it's time to take a break.
- Use WordPad or a spreadsheet on your computer so you don't have to re-create a copy of the list you designed.
- Help and teach others. If you finish your assignments early, offer to help and teach family or friends. Your parents may reward you with extra pocket money.
- Eliminate or postpone some tasks that are less important and require more effort to complete.
- You must be able to take advantage of the time you have and have plans for the future, besides that it is very important to maintain a good attitude, and not to procrastinate on completing tasks.
Other Tips
- Make effective use of the time you have, plan ahead, and don't procrastinate.
- Remember the mantra "I can, I must and will!" and do not complain about the workload.
- Patience and hard work will surely achieve success.
Warning
- Your safety and that of others is the first priority in all tasks that must be performed.
- Your personal life, happiness and integrity should be at the top of your priority list.
