Every once in a while I forget to put the “anti-fog” lens solution on my goggles before I swim. Because I don’t want to break my stride once I’m in the water, I allow the goggles to fog up until I absolutely can’t see. Then I quickly clean and them. They are then clear for remainder of the swim. I always wonder why I didn’t rub off fog off my lens sooner.
It doesn’t really matter that I break my stride. My swimming is for fitness, not competition. The rest of the swim is always delightful since I can look up and see all that is around me.
I believe that’s what we do at work sometimes. We have so many things coming at us, that we forget what our main priority for the week or day is. We try to juggle everything until at some point our body tells us to stop and re-prioritize. When we do, the day becomes much easier.
Re-prioritization is a skill that is essential today. Having a Daily Plan is important-- and you try to stick to it, but you must realize when it’s time to take a “new” look at your day and make sure what you are working on makes sense.
This is a subject I cover in PerfectTIMING, my time management book (featuring tips to help you master your day). Many executives tell me that it is easier today to lose focus than ever before. There’s more coming at them than in past years. This situation requires that you master not only Prioritization, but Re-Prioritization whenever your lens are getting foggy.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THIS WEEK
- Can each member of your team tell you their #1 Priority for the day?
- How about for the week?
- Is each day’s goal leading up to something big for that particular week?
- Do all of their goals tie into the department and organization’s goals?
- Keep your Daily Plan beside you at all times and don’t be afraid to re-prioritize when you must.