Prioritize

Continuing with our exploration of the Seven (7) Habits of Highly Effective People, Lesson Three (3) is focused with the concept of “put First Things First”. This concept involves a person’s ability to PRIORITIZE efforts that will lead to short term goals and immediate gains at the expense of effort that may appear to be urgent but has no benefit what so ever.

I often hear employees talk about how “hard” they work. This is about working smart and not hard. A smart skill to learn is the art of delegation. Delegation allows you to magnify yourself through others and thus getting more done with the limited time you have. Again working smart and not hard.

When you are feeling frustrated because you feel like you are spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere, evaluate if you are expending energy in work that has no gain. Also evaluate why you may be stuck in the rut of high expenditure and low gain. Remember the lesson from last week; be careful not to follow behind something stupid which is what we do when we waste our energy in efforts with little or no gain.

Maya Angelou put it beautifully when she said, “Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking places, honor their credit cards, get married, have children and call that maturity. That’s not maturity it’s just AGING!