What Are Your Priorities?

What do you do when you have a lot to do? Make a list? Sure. But how do you prioritize?

Back when I was a Chief Creative Officer, I would help our creative directors think through their projects and endeavors with something I called the “Pyramid of Priorities.” It’s a fancy phrase for a framework. A triangle for crying out loud. But it helps.

The way it works is that you plot the items on your “to-do list” on your pyramid.

You’ll notice that you have a lot of room for items on the bottom. And not so much on the top. That’s by design. The top area is reserved for the one or two most important things on your list.

The other thing you’ll notice is what you should be doing on the left. And when you should be attending to these activities on the right.

If it’s your project or something really critical, you’ll want to “Touch” it and work on it “Daily.” If it’s not as critical, but still important, you’ll want to “Influence” it. And work on it “Weekly.” If it’s fairly important yet you have either completely delegated it, or it’s something you simply need to keep on your radar to “Inspire,” it becomes a “Monthly” activity.

There is great power in priority. Give it a try.