Activity is not Achievement: How and What Do You Prioritize?

Much of my life lately has been about intentionally prioritizing different things in my life. Do I spend my time doing this or that? Do I take this project? Do I prioritize posting on LinkedIn or writing a blog post? Do I spend time doing the work that I’m already contracted to do or building more connections for the potential future work?

There are lots of ways that you can prioritize your time and your activities. Here’s a few things that I try to remember. John Wooden, the famous basketball coach, famously said “Never mistake activity for achievement.” It is one of my favorite quotes, for a variety of reasons, but it helps me remember that me being “busy” doesn’t mean that I’m achieving my goals. So, it’s important for me to always connect back to my goals.

Then, there are three other methods I often use, and I use them for different reasons. These are not new, and perhaps you’re using them already, but in case it’s helpful, below is a description of each and how I use each method. 

Method: Eisenhower's Decision Matrix

What it is:  Also known as the “Urgent-Important Matrix” and helps you categorize time management into one of 4 quadrants (see graphic below this table):

• Urgent & Important: Tasks that require immediate attention (crises, deadlines)
• Urgent but Not Important: Tasks that contribute to long-term goals or personal growth (planning, strategic thinking, skill-building)
• Urgent but Not Important: Tasks demanding your attention, but they don’t contribute significantly to long-term or short-term goals (Consider delegating or minimizing)
• Not Urgent & Not Important: Tasks that add little to no value and should be minimized or eliminated.

Benefits: Great way to visualize your tasks and truly see where things are. Forces you to ask where you should prioritize your time right now, and also is a good reminder of what to delegate and what to not lose focus on.

How/When I Use It: 

• This matrix forces me to think about where I add the most value in my business or as a leader. 
• There are some things only I can do or should do.
• There are others that I can delegate or let go of doing altogether.
• It also helps remind me to keep my focus first on Urgent and Important, usually related to deadlines for me, and not to lose sight of Not Urgent but Important.

Method: Pomodoro Technique

What It Is: A way to add focus around certain tasks. It’s a time management method that emphasizes short, focused work intervals (usually 25 minutes) followed by a short (5 minute) break. Repeat that cycle, and after 3 or 4, take a longer break.

Pro Tip: Turn off email and other distractions during this time to help increase your focus.

Benefits: 

• Helps you focus for short bursts of time on one key task or project.
• Promotes regular breaks (which can help reduce burnout).
• Helps prioritize tasks by allocating time to each one.
• Breaks work down into manageable chunks.
• Can help you better understand how long tasks actually take.

How/When I Use It: When I am really having trouble focusing, or when I know I need some dedicated focus time for a project or some specific work, I like to use Pomodoro. I also really like it when I am procrastinating on something for whatever reason. It’s a way for me to say “It’s only 25 minutes. I can do anything for 25 minutes” and to just get started, which is often the biggest hurdle.

Method: Time Blocking

What It Is: This is another time management technique. Time blocking works by scheduling specific blocks of time for different tasks or activities during your day or week. (For me, some tasks are daily, some are weekly, some are less frequent). It helps create a structured plan and helps you allocate dedicated period of time for different responsibilities/ needs/ tasks.

Benefits: 

• Helps reduce multitasking and distractions.
  
• Enhances focus on individual tasks as you commit to working on them during a scheduled block.
  
• Helps you schedule time that aligns with your priorities.
  
• It’s another visual tool to help you identify potential conflicts or overcommitment

When/How I Use It:  I like to plan my weeks in advance if I can. There are certain types of activities I like to build into each week - things like planning, gratitude for others, networking, writing my blogs and posts, the client work that needs to be done, operational/ admin tasks, etc. Time blocking allows me to do that and own my calendar a little more and make sure I get the important things done.

Pro Tip: Usually when I get back into time blocking, I have to look out about 4 weeks in my calendar to get started. That is usually when I have enough space in my calendar to block things and plan accordingly; so be patient with yourself on this one.

Prioritizing as a Leader

As a leader, there’s always prioritization that has to happen. It’s easy to get complacent in the schedule of the day - to go to all the meetings and to forget that one of your main jobs is to get results through your people. And your people need you.

The above techniques won’t always work perfectly for you - they don’t always for me. However, when I’m feeling overwhelmed or want to be more intentional on how I use my time and my efforts, I find that relying on these can be super helpful and provide me with some additional structure as needed.

As you’re considering adjusting your priorities, or how you allocate your time, below are 7 questions you can ask yourself as a leader to help you identify where you may want to shift your time and priorities.

1. What was my original reason for wanting to become a leader and is that still true for me? (If not, why do I want to be a leader now)?  
2. Am I mistaking activity for achievement? How might I shift that?
3. What am I most frustrated with? What have I not had time for that I wanted to have time for? What do I wish I had done differently over the past 3 months?
4. How often do you recognize the individual members of your team?
5. How often do you have career conversations with your team?
6. Are there conversations you’ve been avoiding that you need to have?
7. Have you paid attention to your team culture lately?

When you ask these questions on a regular basis, it will help you correct your course so you don't get totally off track.