Set Priorities

If you’ve been reading all my posts this month about planning for the New Year, you should have a pretty good list of goals you’ve set for yourself in 2010.

Now you need to prioritize. You need to decide which goals belong on the A-list and must be accomplished, and which will go on the C-list and can be set aside if needed.

Take your list of goals and assign each one a letter:

• A for top priority
• B for moderate priority, and
• C for low priority.

Giving each of your goals a specific priority will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals. It can direct your attention to the most important goals so that you will achieve that which you hold most dear.

I forget who showed me this, but you think of a jar. Now fill it up with big rocks. Then smaller rocks. Then sand. I’m not being as eloquent, but this visualization can help you understand that you need to get the big stuff done first. Then you can fit in the little stuff.

If you were to fill the jar up with sand first … to the little things first … you will have no more room for the rocks and you won’t get your high priority, big goals done.

Prioritize your goals so that you accomplish the important things first. Then fit in the less important. You’ll gain a greater sense of satisfaction this way.