We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. What if this is a strategy you can use, not an abdication?
When there are many competing priorities, it's important to distinguish what needs immediate attention and what can wait. It's a real skill, a skill that's worth utilizing for yourself and definitely for your team. Because yes, the kind of work we do sometimes feels like firefighting.
There's always something popping up, and it's being able to distinguish what truly needs attention versus what's just noise...and there's a whole lot of noise around us, isn't there? What needs a small amount of attention now and perhaps a bigger amount of attention down the road? Or what can be totally disregarded? It's more of an art than a science, and this skill can make the difference between thriving or surviving in your environment.
If you're in an environment where everything seems like it's a priority, then nothing’s a priority, because something has to come before something else. That's where we can default to firefighting. Pointing the hose wherever the need seems to be the biggest without really exploring the source. Taking a moment to assess the importance.
Crossing the bridge when you get to it, is a strategy...you assess, identify the immediate needs, and then you move forward. You put your energy where it's needed most, now.
Maybe you're reading this and thinking, yeah, this is obvious. But the things we often think are obvious...not so much, right? Which is why it's useful to point them out every now and then. So consider this your every now and then reminder that not everything carries the same weight to it, not everything has the same importance.
It's a good strategy to manage overwhelm too. Deciding to put something on the back burner until it truly needs action puts you in the driver's seat...and who doesn't like being in the driver's seat?
Are you ready?
Let's get to it...
Your challenge...
Are you struggling with your to-do list, your emails, your texts, all of those things that can start piling up?
What if you took a moment to actually sit down and prioritize?
If you can't seem to get it done, recruit unbiased help...not advice. Someone to ask you questions.
Why is this useful? You get perspective.
What's important about perspective?
Perspective gets you out of the weeds and puts you on the mountaintop.
It provides you with distance from the situation that you can't get by yourself.
When you're on the mountaintop looking down, what does the situation look like?
Where does it fit in the grand scheme of things?
Is it a priority or a 'cross the bridge when you get to it' situation? One that will need your attention eventually, but not now.
Prioritizing is a habit you can cultivate that will save you time and overwhelm down the road. What if you took the first step today by reviewing what's on your "list"?
Ready to get some perspective? Contact me
Cheers,
Ann
*Confidence *Mindset *Performance Coach *Author
Check your priorities by trying this strategy.