Drowning in to-dos? Here’s how to prioritize tasks efficiently and start tackling what actually matters.
As someone who thrives on staying organized and following routines, I get asked for organization tips all the time.
People always ask me, “When there’s so much to do every day, how do you get everything done in time?”
The answer is simple: Don’t try to do (or even think about doing) everything at once, and instead focus on prioritizing.
The real challenge is never about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things first, which is what prioritization is all about.
If done well, it will turn your chaos into clarity. But if done poorly, it will be just another fancy way of procrastinating.
In this post, you will learn how to prioritize tasks efficiently and easily.
But first, pin this post, please!
From my to-do lists, writing in my daily planner, and following a morning routine every day without fail, prioritizing is at the crux of everything I do to stay organized.
Here’s how you can do it too:
6 Tips That Will Help You Prioritize Better
1. Realize That Not Everything Matters
Most people fail at prioritization because they treat every task like it’s urgent, but it’s not.
If everything is a priority, then nothing ever will be. That’s why you need to start separating the noise from the reality.
Look at your to-do list and ask yourself, “What happens if this doesn’t get done today? This week? Or at all?”
You’ll be surprised how many things fall into the ‘me’ category when you stop and think about it.
That’s because urgency is often a perception trap, especially when others are involved. Someone else’s fire drill isn’t necessarily your emergency.
The real priorities are usually fewer than you think. Once you cut the fluff, you can channel your energy into what actually moves the needle.
So, please, for the sake of your sanity, stop reacting and start ranking based on impact. You’ll be surprised but how in control you feel just by implementing this one rule.
2. Pick Three Priorities For The Day
Did you know that the human brain loves threes? Beyond that, things can start to get a little fuzzy.
This is why so many daily planners come with a slot for writing your top 3 priorities for the day, even the one that I give away for free here on my blog:
Instead of juggling ten ‘priorities’ (which is just a lie we tell ourselves), pick just three important tasks per day. That’s it!
Why three? Because it forces brutal clarity. It makes you confront what’s essential, and once you hit those three, you win the day.
Every other task becomes a bonus point, which I think is cool, as it takes away the pressure from doing everything perfectly or right.
Every morning, create a to-do list, and then pick the top 3 important tasks from it, and write them down in a separate list titled ‘priority’.
For example, my three priorities these days usually look like:
- Finish a blog post
- Workout for 45 minutes
- Healthy eating
These priorities reflect what I’m most focused on for the day, and it helps me ace my major goals without fail.
And you know what? Most high achievers live by this principle because they understand that productivity isn’t about doing more, but about doing what matters.
If you could only do three things today, what would they be? The answer will give you your top priorites for today, and you can design your whole routine around them.
3. Batch Small Tasks Together
Having talked about priorities, let’s now talk about the small, low-value tasks. Prioritization doesn’t mean ignoring these tasks, you know.
Emails, approvals, quick calls, skincare, cleaning — they’re all part of your ecosystem, and it’s important to tick them off in time.
The key to doing the small stuff is to not let them rule your day. Instead, you just batch them together and get them done in one go.
Like, in the morning, you can batch together:
- Quick dusting of your room
- Shower and skincare
- Breakfast prep
You can set a time block of 30-45 minutes, and then bulldoze through one batch of micro-tasks.
Why do it this way? Because switching between small tasks and big ones kills focus.
Your brain spends energy every time it context-switches. That’s why ‘just checking emails’ every 15 minutes leaves you drained. 9
But when you group the small stuff together, it keeps your energy saved for the heavy tasks.
Think of it like meal prepping for your brain: you prepare one batch, then move on. Easy peasy!
4. Say No Like You Mean It
You can’t prioritize if you can’t say no.
Saying yes to something skippable pushes another important thing off your plate.
We’ve been conditioned to say yes because it feels easier, friendlier, or less risky. But then a sloppy yes today ends up becoming a burden tomorrow.
This is why you need to start saying no when you truly need to.
It won’t make you rude, dear reader. It would only show that you have respect for your time, your goals, and your sanity.
If that feels hard, then reframe it in your mind. Tell yourself you’re not rejecting the person, but that you’re protecting your priorities.
Say this to yourself: “I can’t commit to this right now because I’m focused on X.”
Be clear, polite, and final. This will help you guard your time like the gem that it is, and make it easy to prioritize what actually matters today.
5. Try the Two-Dimensional Test
Have you ever heard of the Eisenhower Matrix? If not, let me enlighten you.
Also known as the urgent-important matrix, it’s a tool that makes you divide your tasks in just two simple categories:
- Important: Tasks that directly impact your goals, growth, or the bottom line
- Urgent: Tasks that are time-sensitive or will blow up if ignored
While prioritizing, you need to put every task through this lens. If a task is both urgent and important, it goes on top of your list.
If it’s important but not urgent, schedule it for later, but don’t ignore it, of course. You can instead of work on what’s taking priority over it.
If something is urgent but not important, then delegate or minimize it. If it’s neither, then trash it or park it in a ‘later’ bin.
The magic of this framework is that it kills the illusion of busyness. It reminds you that being busy isn’t the same as being effective.
I know this whole system might be complicated for some, so I’d not suggest hanging on to it unless your schedule is really packed and messy.
I don’t use it regularly either, but on a lot of hectic days, this two-category system has seriously saved me time and energy. So, I love it and stand by it.
6. Review and Re-Prioritize Regularly
Okay, so the last tip I want to give you in this post is actually very important. Without this, the rest of the tips will just end up becoming stress points, so pay attention.
Your priorities will never stay the same. They are bound shift and change completely, because that’s how life works.
If you set your list in stone, you’ll either break it or break yourself trying to keep up. That’s why the final rule of prioritization is to review and adjust regularly.
Don’t expect your top 3 priorities for the day to be the same. Sometimes, you’d need to prioritize your work, other times your health, and your family, too.
When work piles up, hone in on the pending tasks and schedule your other tasks around them.
But if a day demands rest from you, then take it easy and prioritize activities that will help you destress.
Also, if a habit is no longer helping you or draining you, replace it with another one. Example: If the gym has started feeling like a drag, try home workouts or start going on long walks.
Prioritization isn’t a one-and-done thing; it’s a living process. So, be flexible and be open to change. That’s how you grow in life!
Ready To Master Prioritization?
I think by now you should have a clear idea on how prioritization works.
For tomorrow, I’d say just pick three things that will help you win, and do them in the order of priority. That’s always an easy place to start.
Then, make use of the other tips in this post (I swear, they’re really good), and see how they work for you.
Basically, just cut the noise, focus on what matters, and protect your time like your life depends on it, because in many ways, it does.
What do your top three priorities look like for today? Let me know in the comment box!
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