Enjoy the Power of Full Engagement by Setting Priorities

Written by Renée Safrata - renee@reneevations.com, August 27th, 2009

One of my absolute favourite books is The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.  In it, they cite a study in which a group of women committed to do a breast self-exam for 30 days.

One group of women said where and when they were going to do the exam, and 100% of those women actually did it.  Among those who didn’t say where and when, only 53% completed it.

We can apply this same concept to daily planning & priority-setting.  By defining “where and when,” you greatly improve your probability of success.  You’ll be much more aware of what those priorities are, and it will be easier to manage your time, eliminate non-urgent activities, and create the momentum you need.

If you and your team are trying to gain more control of your time, here are three steps to stay on track throughout the day.

1. Plan (7 minutes): Each morning, decide your top 2 “must do’s” today and write them down
2. Realign (60 seconds each hour): Set an alarm to ring every hour and ask yourself, “Did I spend my last 60 minutes on my priority?”  If “yes,” congratulate yourself and keep on it.  If “no,” refocus.
3. Reflect (3 minutes at the end of the day): Evaluate your performance.  What did you do well?  What happened to distract you?  And how can you improve tomorrow?

Remember, if you avoid setting priorities, your time will eroded away.  The key is focus, and writing down your priorities can make a tremendous difference.

Related posts:

1. How to Manage Interruptions By Being Clear on Priorities
2. Manage Multitasking & Interruptions for Increased Productivity
3. Is this a project vacation, a dis-engagement or a sabbatical?
4. Need A Workplace Break? Start Smokin.’