This post is recommending and reproducing an article by a writer I admire for his practical observations and tips about getting more out of life. His name is Donald Latumahina and his Life Optimizer blog is well worth subscribing to. This post suggests five tips on ‘How to Make Your Priority Your Priority’.
1. Decide what your priority is
Before anything else, you must decide what your priority is. Notice that I said priority, not priorities. Priority is singular, not plural. It means that you need to decide what the most important thing is for you. When it comes to spending your time, ask yourself this question:
What is the one activity that would make the most difference in my life?
Think about it for a moment and answer the question. That is your priority.
2. Make enough time for it
Now that you have decided what your priority is, make time for it. Don’t just treat it as something secondary. Instead, build your life around it. Not only should you make time for it, but also you should make enough time for it. It’s your most important activity, after all, so it deserves a big portion of your time. This is easier said than done, but the tips below will help you do it.
3. Do it early
The word priority comes from the word prior. As such, a good way to make time for your priority is to do it prior to doing other things. Do your priority early in the day. After a brief morning routine, dive right into it. The earlier you do it, the better. By doing it early, you are guaranteed to have spent time on it. Otherwise, you might miss it the entire day.
4. Say no to less important things
To make enough time for your priority, say no to less important things. Simplify your commitments. Something might seem good, but if it distracts you from your priority, you should say no to it.
5. Eliminate distractions
Making enough time deals with the quantity of time. But the quality is just as important. It doesn’t do you much good if you spend a lot of time on your priority but accomplish just a little. For this, it’s important that you eliminate distractions. Turn off your phone’s notifications. Eliminate other possible distractions. Make the time focused and you will get things done.
In summary, your priority deserves to be treated as such. Give it a lot of your time and your focused attention. You will then become highly productive.