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Are you prioritising ruthlessly?

One of my friends makes an awesome Cypriot salad. 

The problem is, she uses about 25 ingredients. To make 1 batch of this jewelled dish of deliciousness, it costs a bomb: 

pomegranate seeds, different types of nuts, currants, herbs… the list goes on!

Every time she makes it, she asks herself: 

‘What can get away with leaving out and still have it taste as good?’

This has been a theme for me as this financial year starts to come to a close and the chill of winter starts…

I’m forced to consider what I can leave behind while still enjoying my life:

what’s not a good use of my time and energy?

A high sense of wellbeing = more productivity

A Gartner report shares that individuals who prioritise their physical and mental health needs, such as exercise and sleep, are more effective in their work.

Leader Jessica Snow re-emphasised this in reply to one of my emails about what she does to prioritise in her life:

“As I’ve become older I am more aware of what and who drains my battery. And whilst I consider myself generous with my time, I also am really clear about my boundaries… never deprioritise what gives me energy, and for me, that’s exercise and sleep. 

I’ve learnt I’m significantly less effective when I ‘give up’ what my physical and mental health needs.

When I am feeling under pressure, and know I need to manage my time and energy, the first thing I do is make time to protect my calendar. 

Even if I can just manage 1 hour per day, I need this time for reflection, thinking and planning – this gives me a breather to re-focus and be more effective.”

Strategy is about the choices we make. It’s as much about what we do and what we choose not to do.

So what are you choosing to let go of?

“What can get away with leaving out and still have it taste as good?”

4 powerful ways to prioritise ruthlessly

  • Apply the Pareto principle: focus on 20% of the tasks that will give you 80% of the results you want
  • Find alignment: figure out what aligns with your values and what you care about
  • No regrets: think “What won’t I regret?” when making decisions 
  • Be energised: find what energises you so you can do other things better 

What will you leave out of your life so you have more energy to do what you love? 

Research shows that writing it down helps us to remember and follow through…

so, take a few minutes and share your thoughts with me.

LOUISE GILBERT

Founder & Director

Intime
Insights

Delivers practical things to try to make work work for you. Sent weekly-ish.