Things I’ve Heard From Leaders - 5
“How do I keep my priorities straight when it feels like the world is on fire?”
👂Things I’ve Heard From Leaders - Part 5
We had a great conversation during this last Tea and Q’s and I wanted to share some of what we discussed.
One of the main issues that many leaders are struggling with right now is prioritization. For example, where to put their time and energy, and how to keep their priorities straight when it feels like everything is important and/or everything is about to crumble.
We are all trying to juggle so much right now, especially with the holidays coming up and the end-of-year rush to get projects and tasks wrapped up before the new year. Add that to the rest of the seemingly non-stop chaos and people seem either on the verge of a meltdown or frozen, unable to move forward with anything due to overwhelm.
I’ve noticed that when I have too many priorities and too much work to get done, for myself at least, the first things to go are always health-related. I don’t drink enough water, I skip meals, I skip workouts, I skip taking breaks. And everything else suffers as a result. I’m not going to be another person telling you to drink more water, eat your veggies, and take breaks - you already know you should be doing that. I will say that your ability to make smart decisions and think strategically suffers immensely when you’re not meeting those basic needs.
With those basic needs met, let’s get back to prioritization. I know it can be hard to stop and pause when there is so much to do; however, that’s what must be done in order to ensure you’re spending your time in fruitful ways and not just spinning your wheels. Set aside a couple of hours to look at the things you’re working on and where your time and energy are going. Honestly assess whether you’re spending your time in ways that are truly moving you closer to your goals. You might try something like the Eisenhower Matrix to assess the tasks on your plate. Remember, not everything that feels urgent actually is.
