April 29, 2010

How to Prioritize and Make Life Easier

I have a variety of sources for keeping up with what's going on in the real estate market: personal experience, trade publications, internet, talking to real estate professionals, eavesdropping. . .you name it. So the other day I called a realtor friend of mine to find out what new and interesting things had been happening in the real estate market. And I asked her to talk to some other agents to get their insight and then call me back with all the juicy details.

Well, a couple of days went by and I had not heard back from her so I called her up to chew her out. And much to my surprise, she chewed right back! "I've been so busy. I had a home inspection this morning. I have to go back to the office to prepare for a listing presentation. I have to drive my son to his baseball game." And she went on to name a half dozen more things she had on her plate. [Sidebar: Another friend of mine once told me she was talking to a friend and was telling him how she was overloaded with all the things she had to do and that she just had too much on her plate. He responded by saying, "The problem is not that you have too much on your plate, the problem is that you're not eating fast enough!"]

So, that got me to thinking about the importance of prioritizing. Because at times, with all the things we have to do, tasks can seem overwhelming. Prioritizing can make things more manageable. Here are some tips for staying sane in an insane world:

1. Do a Brain Dump. Think about what you want to accomplish. With your goals in mind, write everything down. You can focus on short-term, intermediate, or long-term goals or all of them. You can focus on one aspect of your life or all of them. You decide. But do not include routine tasks such as "eat lunch" or "use the bathroom." [It's just a wild guess, but I'm thinking you can remember to get those things done without having to write them down.]

2. Make a To-Do List. Not just any list, but a list that includes sub-lists and categorizes tasks into: Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold, Back Burner.
a. Hot List. The Hot list should include top priorities. These are tasks that are important and urgent. It should consist of things that have to get done today or tomorrow.
b. Warm List. The Warm list should include tasks that are important and have to be done soon, but not necessarily today or tomorrow.
c. Cool List. The Cool list should include tasks that are somewhat important, but which you have some time to complete. For example, you're attending a fundraiser in two weeks and you need to buy a new suit to wear.
d. Cold List. The Cold list should include low-priority tasks. These are tasks that you would like to accomplish, but time is not of the essence.
e. Back Burner List. The Back Burner list should include tasks that . . . well, should be put on the back burner. These may include tasks you've been trying to accomplish for a long time, but just never seem to get done. Or tasks that should be delegated to someone else. Or tasks that belong on your bucket list instead of your to-do list (e.g., things like climbing Mount Everest or visiting the Grand Canyon).

As you create your lists, rank tasks in order of importance. So, for example, on the Hot list, the most important task would be ranked 1 or H1. The next most important task would be 2 or H2 and so on.

Remember the lists are fluid and can be edited at any time.  For example, a task that is on the Warm list today may need to be moved to the Hot list tomorrow. Update the lists as necessary.

3. Take Action. A wise person once said, "If you do nothing, nothing happens." So after you've prioritized, it's time to take action. Before scheduling each task into your day, week, month, or year, consider the following:

• How much time will it take to complete the task?
• Deadlines and due dates.
• Level of difficulty. What is involved in completing the task? What resources will you need? Where will you have to go? Will you have to make calls? Send emails? Is money required?
• Who else is depending on you to get the task done?
• Consequences. What are the advantages of successfully completing the task? What will happen if you do not complete the task or do not complete it on time?
• What is the return on your investment of time, energy, and resources?
• What is the likelihood of completing the task within the prescribed deadline?
• How will you accomplish the task? Is there a learning curve or do you know what to do?

Compiling the lists in order to prioritize tasks will clarify things. With clarity comes direction. With direction comes the ability to move definitively toward the goal: an organized, less stressful life in which, ideally, you never have too much on your plate.

Until next time.

Be well.

Posted by: shana@lakeviewtitle.com