Business Principles

Priortise! Prioritise!

by Karien Dutton

Here’s an example of how you might prioritize actions as a financial planner with a lot of demands on your time:

  1. Understand your priorities: Your top priorities might be to increase your client base, meet your sales targets, and provide excellent service to your existing clients. Additionally, you want to balance your work with family and leisure time.
  2. Create a task list: Make a list of all the tasks you need to accomplish, including: sourcing leads, making appointments, meeting with clients, completing admin tasks, and fulfilling any demands from management.
  3. Evaluate each task: Use the Eisenhower matrix to evaluate which tasks are most important. Tasks that are both urgent and important, such as meeting with a client or finishing a report for management, should be prioritized over tasks that are less important, such as administrative tasks that can be deferred or delegated.
  4. Focus on one task at a time: Once you’ve identified the most important task, focus on it to the exclusion of everything else. For example, if you have a meeting with a client scheduled, block out time in your calendar to prepare and be fully present during the meeting.
  5. Set a deadline: Set a deadline for when you want to complete the task. This will help you to stay focused and work towards achieving your goal.
  6. Review and adjust: Review your task list and priorities regularly to ensure that you are still on track and that your priorities align with your goals. Also, set a reminder to check your work-life balance as well, make sure you are taking time for leisure and family activities.

In addition to these steps, you can use tools like time blocking to schedule your work, make sure you use your time effectively and also you could use apps or reminders to have time dedicated to only family and relaxation activities. By prioritizing your actions and being mindful of your work-life balance, you can achieve your goals and provide excellent service to your clients, while also taking care of yourself and your family.