I use Hiveminder for managing my tasks, and am pretty organized when in comes to creating tasks and getting them done. A big part of why I love Hiveminder and prefer it over other task management systems is because I make heavy use of prioritization…if you define “heavy use of prioritization” as someone who marks everything as urgent.

About a week ago, I noticed that my task list had this distribution for prioritization: 95 percent “highest,” 4 percent “high,” 1 percent “normal,” and no tasks at all at the “low” and “lowest” priorities. Is this because I am so important that everything I do is of the utmost importance? I wish that were so, but no. It’s because I’m not being realistic about my prioritization. That’s my dirty little task management secret.

It was when I wished that I had an option for  an “ultra-high” priority for a task that I realized I really needed to make some changes in how I prioritize my task list. It’s not that I didn’t have a process for task prioritization; it’s just that my process didn’t work.

Before

Here’s the process that I was using up until today:

• “Highest” priority: Anything that clients pay me to do (this should be the first red flag).
• “High” priority: Things that are important, but don’t generate direct revenue (blog posts, side projects).
• “Normal” priority: Something I would like to get around to eventually.

I also noticed that many of my “highest” priority tasks were getting moved to the following day because I had more of them than any one person could possibly complete in a single day. A side effect of this prioritization is that I never knew what task to tackle next, which is why I needed to start a separate “next three things“ list. (As an aside, I find the “next three things” list to be pretty useful, so I might keep using it even after I get used to my new task prioritization scheme.)

After

My new way of looking at task prioritization is as follows:

• “Highest” priority: Anything that absolutely must be completed by the end of the day.
• “High” priority: Paid client work or projects where people are counting on me for a deliverable that should be completed today if possible.
• “Normal” priority: Paid client work or projects where people are counting on me for a deliverable.
• “Low” priority: Non-urgent tasks that don’t generate direct revenue and don’t impact the work of others (personal blog posts, personal side projects)
• Lowest: Something I would like to get around to eventually.

I’m already struggling with marking tasks as “low” and “lowest” priority, but I will continue to work on it. The real test will be to see whether I can achieve and then maintain a distribution for task priorities that looks more like a nice, smooth bell curve , instead of a pointy hockey stick.

What tips and tricks do you use to prioritize your tasks?

Photo by Flickr user martinroell used under Creative Commons.

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At the end of the day, you feel spent, yet you don’t feel that you’ve made any real progress toward your goals. You’re left feeling frustrated, like you’re floundering and can’t find solid ground.

The good news is, it’s actually fairly easy to get out of this mess and start moving forward again. All it takes is laser focus and the willingness to let go.

Step 1: Get Focused

Here’s the reality. You can’t be all things within your business. Well, let me rephrase that. You can play multiple roles, but you’re going to have to limit them.

There are tons of things that could be done within your business, but what are the things that really matter? If you’re a graphic designer, for instance, you really only have two main roles, increasing awareness around your business (finding clients) and completing design projects (doing the work). Once you know your roles, you need to break them down into specific actions that you’ll need to do each day.

Your first role is to find clients, which means lead generation. There are tons of lead generation and marketing tactics that could be used to market your business, but what would be the most effective for you? Lay out all the options, but then pick the top four or five tactics that make most sense for your strengths and weaknesses, budget and availability. You might be tempted to try every new social media and networking tactic that glitters and sparkles, but the reality is consistency will win out in the end, so you have to have the “sticktoitiveness” to see the tactic to success. Find your four or five strategies and vow to stick with them for at least twelve months before moving on to something else.

For example, you might choose to:

1. Post a daily blog
2. Send a monthly email newsletter
3. Participate at your favorite social networks
4. Write for article directories
5. Host a monthly tele-seminar

That’s it. Those are your tactics. Each day, you’ll spend your time maintaining them.

Your second role is doing your work, and if you were a graphic designer, that would likely include:

1. Doing the actual design work
2. Compiling quotes for prospective clients
3. Communicating with current and prospective clients
4. Setting up new clients
5. Closing out work you’ve completed

Again, you’re limited to a handful of tasks that must be done on a daily basis.

Step 2: Let Go

Although it’s tempting to want to over-complicate the days with busy work, if you hope to be successful, you have to get to the meat of it and focus on those things that most directly contribute to your bottom line. It might not seem as interesting or exciting, but the key to success is doing what works over and over again. Everything else must take a back seat to your core responsibilities that you need to maintain each day. Distractions will present themselves often, so it’s helpful to step back and remember your primary roles within your business. In most cases, that will consist of the two main roles (finding clients and doing your work). Everything else is secondary and is a lot less likely to contribute to your long-term success.

How do you stay focused each day? What techniques do you use to make sure you stay on point, working on those few things that directly influence your bottom line?

Image from Flickr by antony_mayfield

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Warnke says that Wal-Mart and Sam’s Warehouse Club Founder Sam Walton’s last words were, “I blew it.” How could one of the richest people in the world think this? According to the author, Walton wasn’t reflecting on his massive wealth and business successes, but rather on missing family time.

“ONO, Options Not Obligations” explores changing your mindset to live with an options-oriented outlook rather than just an overwhelming obligation to become a rich entrepreneur and provider. Living as a “family first entrepreneur” requires a commitment to overarching change while working past the fear of not having enough money to live the kind of life you want. Warnke, a recovering alcoholic who has dyslexia, shares everything about himself to show how it’s possible to live an ONO life.

Warnke covers all the bases, including working with finances, figuring out wants vs. needs and managing time. The last part of the book goes into acting on your new thinking process. It’s easy to go back to key parts of the book later on, since every chapter ends with a bulleted list of key points covered.

You don’t have to be a parent to benefit from the book. If you have dreams of traveling, working fewer hours, or spending more time on a hobby, you can apply ONO thinking to enjoy the things you love and put an emphasis on what matters to you. Warnke inspires, enlightens, educates, and gives practical assignments to help anyone ready and willing to live the ONO life.

Do you find that web working leads to more or less of a sense of being burdened by obligation? What strategies do you use to deal with work/life balance?

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