If you are feeling stressed, it's usually an indicator that you don't know what your priorities are.
It might feel like you've got too much to do.
We can solve stress by prioritising.
This is the Eisenhower Matrix. Read more about it here.
Use a matrix like this for steps 2 + 3 below:
| Urgent | Not urgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Important | • (Urgent + Important) | |
| • Requires your immediate attention | ||
| • Must be done now or something is going to break | ||
| • You should only have 0-2 items here each day (if you have more than that, ask for help) | • (Not urgent + Important) | |
| • Tasks you'll schedule in your calendar to work on later | ||
| • Doesn't require immediate attention | ||
| • Working towards long-term goals | ||
| Not important | • (Urgent + Not important) | |
| • Urgent but not a good use of your skills (delegate) | ||
| • If too urgent to delegate, can you handle it and record a process so you can hand it over for next time? | • (Not urgent + Not important) | |
| • Tasks you'll put on a backlog |
Urgent = requires your immediate attention. When something is urgent, it must be done now, and there are clear consequences if you don’t complete these tasks within a certain timeline. These are tasks you can’t avoid, and the longer you delay these tasks, the more stress you’ll likely experience, which can lead to burnout.
Examples of Urgent tasks:
Important = may not require immediate attention, but these tasks help you achieve your long-term goals. Just because these tasks are less urgent doesn’t mean they don’t matter. You’ll need to thoughtfully plan for these tasks so you can use your resources efficiently.
Examples of Important tasks: