Annual priorities

Setting work priorities can feel like a chore. An annual activity to appease the higher-ups.

I used to feel this way. But several years ago, I realised my calmest moments were when I knew exactly what needed to be done – when my priorities were clearest.

The extreme version of this is a crisis. When everything’s on fire, your priorities drop into sharp focus. You abandon the trivial and focus on the critical few actions to resolve the problem.

A crisis is alarming, but I’ve never felt out of control during one. There’s a simplicity to knowing exactly what needs to be done. I suspect this is why some people bounce from one imagined crisis to another.

Priority setting is how you achieve that clarity without setting things alight. Sit down with your boss (or yourself) and agree on a short list of important topics. Use this as a shield against distractions.

Most importantly, don’t wait until it’s annual goal-setting season to do this.