Not enough time for things that really matter to you or your business?
We talk about priorities all the time. In Metronomics, they are the cornerstones (along with metrics and meeting cadence) to the execution system. An essential tool for getting the right shit done when it matters. Beyond the tool of quarterly and annual priorities, though, we deal with prioritization every day.
Very often, we hear the words “I didn’t have time to do this.” In a recent conversation with a CEO client, I stopped her and said – that’s not really true. Don’t ever say that again – say (and train your team to say) “I didn’t prioritize this activity over other tasks”. Not having time for something is the outcome, or the result of not making time for it in the first place. So let’s be honest about what we actually mean.
The quote on the card “Don’t prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities,” is from Dan Martell’s “Buy back your time”. The meaning here is rather profound. Dan teaches you to make time for what is the priority in advance, rather than juggling hours and minutes of the day on an on-going basis, wasting your decision powers when you should save them for the actual tasks. Well, five customer calls fell into my calendar today, so I guess I won’t get anything done on my monthly priority today – again…unless we change how we manage time.
Make hay when the sun is shining. Organize your schedule when it is still clear with gaps of time left open for those last-minute turnarounds. When setting the priority, consider then – what will it take to get this done? When will I do the work? What time do I need to dedicate to completion? What other resources do I need to rely on? Will they be available by then?
When coaching clients in Metronomics, we use the concept of Sprintlanes – planning your quarterly priorities over the 13 weeks available to you, with the deliverables for each week, and clear interdependencies with other team members or resources. That way, when the time comes, one doesn’t need to prioritize anymore (barring emergencies) – just execute.
Are you intentional about your time planning or do you roll with the punches and constantly feel like there just isn’t enough time? The (little) time you would invest into planning and scheduling can bring a massive ROI. Go from “I didn’t have time to do this” to “I won’t have time to do this because I have other priorities, so this one will need to wait – or be delegated to someone else.”
Don’t forget – doing something always means NOT doing something else. Make sure the trade-off is really worth it.
