How to Prioritize Your Daily Tasks Effectively
To prioritize your daily tasks effectively, you need to know your own work patterns and preferences. If you arrive at your desk ready to take on the world, prioritizing your work in order of importance will probably work for you. If you need a slower start to your day, or if you feel the need to complete something before you begin working on a job that could take several days, you might prefer to start with small jobs that you can finish quickly.
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Instructions
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Prioritizing by Importance
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Make a list of everything you want to do each day. Include business tasks, personal commitments, community obligations and any other tasks you want to accomplish.
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Label each task according to its importance. Use the letter "A" for the most important tasks that you absolutely have to finish that day or suffer consequences. "B" is for important jobs that must be done, but the ramifications of not completing them won't be as serious as if an A task was not completed. Use "C" for the least important tasks that you'll do only if you have time, because there won't be any negative effect if you don't do them. If there are tasks on your list that others could do, label them "D" and assign them to someone else.
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Number the tasks on your A list according to urgency, with A1 being the most urgent. Do the same with your B and C lists.
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Start working on the task you labeled A1 first. Complete it before moving on to A2. If there is some reason you can't complete A1 first, such as having to wait until someone else arrives at work, start on A2. Finish all the items on your A list before moving to the B list.
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Start with the item you labeled B1 after you finish all of your A tasks.
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Move on to the tasks you labeled C only after you finish the all the items on your B list.
Prioritizing By Ease
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Start with the easiest task you need to do that day, such as checking your email and replying to emails that require it.
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Do the next easiest thing, such as returning telephone calls.
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Continue to perform the jobs you regard as quick and simple until you have cleared them away or until you're ready to tackle a big task.
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Tips & Warnings
If you approach your work emotionally, prioritize your daily tasks according to the way you feel about them. For example, if you know you need to do something on a particular day, do it first. If you feel you should do something but you know you can put it off, let it go until another day. If you merely want to do something but there will be no effect if you don't do it, put it at the bottom of your list.
References
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