Innovative Strategies to Identify and Set
Priorities
by Rachel
Reeves
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You might look at
sorting your priorities into different
categories as follows:
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| 1. |
Extremely Urgent and
Extremely
Important
A Crisis or
Emergency.
|
| 2. |
Not Urgent, but Extremely
Important
Problem Solving,
Brainstorming, Establishing Goals, Planning,
Training, Maintaining Life Balance, Building
Relationships.
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| 3. |
Urgent, Not as
Important
Those Essential Day to Day
Tasks.
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| 4. |
Not Urgent, Not as
Important
Routine tasks that need to be
done at some stage that have a lower urgency
attached. This is the least productive
time usually and includes filing, faxing, at
staff meetings
etc.
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When I draw up my action list
each week I sort my priorities using these four
categories.
As you know the first
category never gets forgotten; usually the problem
is fixed almost immediately.
The second category
however will often be forgotten because the third
category tends to take higher precedence; maybe you
find it hanging of the end of the long list of
things you have to do at the moment. It is
however so important that we nurture this category
and keep it in good health. Because of the
importance of this category you should tackle these
tasks during the time of day you know you will be
able to accomplish your best work.
Next we talk about
the third category. Category three makes up
the bulk of your work and can easily lead to burn
out if the workload is not managed well. If
you are able, look to delegate what you feel you
will not be able to achieve from category three and
four. This will free up more time for you to
focus on achieving those important items in
categories one and two.
You will reap the
benefits from getting those important things done
first. The benefits include, but are not
limited to:
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- You being more in control
- proactive rather than
reactive.
- The smaller things
sometimes work themselves
out.
- And reduced stress
levels.
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Now list your top four work
priorities for the coming
week:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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And remember, you should
reward yourself for those big achievements in
your business and in your
life.
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© 2008 Rachel
Reeves, Proactive Admin Services. Rachel boasts
10 years Administrative Support, Financial
Services and Executive Support experience. She
offers her abilities globally through her
Virtual Assistant business, Proactive Admin
Services
(www.proactiveadminservices.com ).
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