My friend Joey was determined to get organized this September. So, she signed up for a productivity class about managing email. But their advice to change important mails into Tasks backfired in spectacular fashion. Joey complained, “That class was supposed to help me get more done. But now I have 200 overdue tasks. I’m running as fast as I can, yet I feel worse than ever!”
Does her experience sound familiar? Your September intentions are probably words like “organized,” “productive,” and “efficient.” But the reality is, “frantic,” “overwhelmed,” and “irritable.” Feeling bad never helped anyone achieve powerful results. So, we’ll talk about four easy ways you can stay on track in the September series, Cancel the Guilt Trip.
Way #1 is to cap your Pri 0’s. “Pri 0” is a tech industry term for your top priority. The trick isn’t to do more—it’s only to do what matters most.
That was Joey’s problem. With 200 tasks beeping, “Critical! Immediate! Emergency!” her in-box suddenly became the boss of her. Joey was so busy juggling notifications that everything else in her life—like hanging out with her kids or working out—was eclipsed. Suddenly she had even more things to feel bad about!
Instead of asking yourself, “How much can I get done today?” change the conversation to, “What are three things I can finish today?” And don’t just think about which co-worker is screaming the loudest. Architect your “Three Things to Finish” for work, home, and self. Your Pri 0 shortlist can be as straightforward as sending an important email, changing that hallway conversation with your partner to a 15-minute heart-to-heart over dinner, and running the dishwasher when you go to bed. Mission accomplished until tomorrow!
It may help to think of priorities like a Ferris wheel. You’ll get to everything eventually, but only one item can be at the top of the wheel at a time. You can read more about this skill in, “Find the Metric that Matters,” a chapter in my book, Light it Up—7 Skills for Setting Intentions That Work.
If you want to have results that make an impact, begin capping your Pri 0s. Start with your long Wish List, but then apply critical thinking. Use the soft skill of discernment to make smart choices about what you can accomplish well.
Ditch the nagging feeling that you’re failing by counterbalancing aspiration and reality. Here’s how:
You are poised to achieve great things. You just can’t do them all at
the same time! Start capping your Pri 0’s and cancel the guilt trip you’ve been
planning!