For our challenge in January 2021 we were tasks at setting our most important tasks each day and getting them done, every single day.
Overview
I know what you might be thinking. Yeah that’s simple we want to get our most important things done each day, duh. And you might also be thinking that it’s a lot easier said than done. Yes, it’s true sometimes our most important tasks are too much to handle in a single day, but that’s where defining our 3 important tasks for the day comes in.
You’re going to want to be realistic. If one of your tasks is to build a car you probably won’t have the time or energy to do that in a single day. Instead you could set the task to be to install one part of the car. Each day you set another reasonable task that involves the same larger goal and before you know it you will have accomplished what you set out to do.
If you are doing the three most important tasks (or working towards them) each day you are making immense progress. Most people might not even being doing one important task each day. Here’s the simple steps to making sure you are heading in the right direction and taking care of the most important things in your life each day.
- Define your most important task:
- These questions should help you define your most important tasks:
- What is the most pressing?
- What will have the biggest returns for you?
- What will relieve the most stress for you after it is done?
- What will have the highest positive impact on your life?
2. Figure out when you will do them
It is best if you do them first thing in your day. That way you can be proud of your day, no matter what else happens.
There are also less distractions earlier in the day and you will have more energy to complete your most important tasks.
3. Write down your three most important tasks are and schedule them
It works best if you write this down in your daily journal or planner.
4. Make them your highest priority and do them!
Its that simple you just need to make the conscious effort to complete your three most important tasks everyday. I promise you will feel amazing on days when you get them all done! There will be days when you might not be able to get any or all of them done, don’t let this discourage you it gets better in time and you can take solace in the fact that you did your best.
Review
Defining, prioritizing, and completing your three most important tasks each day is hard habit or skill to develop. That being said it is extremely rewarding. It helps us to get out of the grind of go to work come home and that’s it each day. This way we make sure that we are accomplishing more and at the same time giving ourselves something to feel good about whenever we accomplish our most important tasks each day.
Everyone should try and prioritize their time and get the most out of each day. The benefits far outweigh the time and effort it takes!
I would give this skill or habit a 8.7 out of 10. Because it is important, keeps us doing the things that matter, and it is fulfilling.
My experience
I did pretty well working on this skill or whatever you would like to call it. Most weekdays I wrote in my journal/planner what my main targets for the day were. I would order them in most important for the day to least important or least likely to happen. For most days unless something went wrong I was always able to complete them. On days when I didn’t complete them I simply drew an arrow and would put it as a target for the next day.
This was extremely helpful for me. The prior few months I had one big thing looming over my head that really needed to get accomplished and I kept putting it off. This added a lot of stress and worry to my life because it was past due and was something I had to worry about completing every day. Once I finally got it done my mood became much more positive and the day didn’t feel so heavy. Getting done what is most important first has been very beneficial and important to me.
One last point is that having your goals for the day written down and ordered makes things more automatic. You know what to do next and you don’t have to worry about what you should be doing. You just do what’s next. “Chop wood, carry water”
I am continuing this habit of writing down and completing my 3 most important tasks everyday. And I am much more productive and satisfied with life because of it.