Time management is about working smarter, not harder. One of the biggest hurdles facing busy professionals is knowing what to tackle first when the to-do list feels never-ending. At Revolution Learning, we believe that mastering the art of prioritisation can be a game changer—not just for your work, but for your wellbeing too.
What is Prioritisation?
Simply put, prioritisation means ordering your tasks by importance and urgency. When you prioritise effectively, you ensure that what matters most gets your attention first. It sounds simple, but in a world full of distractions, achieving this can be a challenge.
Why Is Prioritisation Important?
When you don’t prioritise, you can waste huge amounts of time firefighting problems, bouncing between small tasks, and feeling overwhelmed. Prioritisation helps you focus your energy where it will make the biggest difference, reducing stress and helping you achieve your main goals more quickly.
Top Prioritisation Techniques
Here are our favourite tried-and-tested methods from our time management training course:
- The Eisenhower Matrix: This is a simple grid that separates your tasks into urgent and important, not urgent but important, urgent but not important, and neither. It’s a quick way to visually sort your daily workload and avoid getting stuck on low-value tasks.
- ABCDE Method: Prioritise tasks from A (most important and urgent) to E (eliminate if possible). By labelling your list this way, you force yourself to identify what truly needs your attention.
- Time Blocking: Dedicate specific blocks of time in your diary for the most important activities, and don’t let anything interrupt them. This approach helps you maintain focus when it matters most.
- The 80/20 Rule: Also called the Pareto Principle, this technique reminds us that 80 percent of results often come from just 20 percent of actions. Identify the actions in your day that generate the most positive outcomes and prioritise them.
- Daily Review: Take 10 minutes at the start or end of your day to review and update your task list. Keeping your priorities fresh in your mind boosts productivity and reduces overwhelm.
Common Prioritisation Pitfalls
Many people fall into common traps when prioritising:
- Confusing urgent with important (not everything that screams for your attention really matters!)
- Overcommitting and not leaving enough time for high-value work
- Letting other people’s priorities become your own without question
- Forgetting to regularly review and adjust your plan as things change during the day or week
How You Can Learn More
Our time management course at Revolution Learning is designed to be fun, energetic, and down to earth. Whether you’re working in-person or online, our expert trainers share practical tools that really work in real life. You’ll get the chance to practice prioritisation alongside other must-have time management skills, like planning, overcoming procrastination, and finding your focus. Want to find out more or book a course for your team? Click here to see upcoming dates and course info. Let’s work together and reclaim your most precious resource—your time!
