The traditional approach of prioritizing, where you assign a task a high, medium or low priority (or maybe even something more meaningless than that) is outdated and largely ineffectual in today’s workplace. In fact David Allen of Getting Things Done fame actively downplays the importance of prioritizing, claiming that each task is equally important otherwise you wouldn’t be doing them in the first place. However, this implies a “need to do-don’t need to do” attitude which, as I’ve discussed before, can be a surefire way to end up burnt out as you continuously feel compelled to do something. With the focus increasingly being on working smarter a different way of prioritizing is required that takes into account time mangement.
- Need to do
This covers every task that you must do, otherwise there are serious consequences. A prime example is when you receive a final warning from your electricity company. If you don’t act on it you get cut off and that is certainly not a particularly happy outcome for your inaction. Likewise, if you don’t take an important document to a meeting at head office with the directors you risk getting sacked. - Should do
Tasks that fit into this priority typically have no severe consequences for not acting on them, but you are obliged to do them, whether it be for something like moral and financial reasons. Using the electricity bill as an example again, you should pay it early so it doesn’t get to the stage where you are getting red letters. That way you avoid the stress and hassle that comes when you are being chased for money. - Want to do
Tasks in this category have no consequences stemming from not acting on them. They include such things that you would like to do, whether it be for your own personal satisfaction or simply to make yourself feel good. Prime examples include playing a computer game or watching a film.
It’s worth noting that some tasks cover more than one priority. For instance, something you need to do may also happen to be something you want to do (such as buying a present for your wedding anniversary). However, the high priority obviously takes precedence. Regardless of what priorities a task fits into, it will also help you to trim junk out of your workflow. You will come across tasks that won’t fit into any of the priority levels. If that’s the case you shouldn’t be doing them. You don’t need to do them, you should not be doing them, and you certainly don’t want to do them… so why have you actually been doing them?
You might ask how this differs from the traditional high, medium, low approach. Firstly, by phrasing it as “need to do” it immediately means a lot more and emphasizes the action required. Secondly, there is the time factor. When a bill comes in it it is not necessary to pay it there and then. Leave it a week when the payment deadline gets close it starts to become something you need to act on. Because of this it’s much easier to be smart with your workflow. Overloaded now but free next week? Put the bill aside for processing till then. You can plan and spread your tasks out so you are never overwhelmed.
A good example that sums up this prioritizing approach which I think is worth mentioning, is the one regarding holidays (especially to get away from work). After one month of hard, stressful activity in your job you feel like you want a break. After two months the stress levels start to have an affect so you should really start focusing on booking an holiday. After the third month you are facing burnout so you need to take an holiday before your health (and sanity!) suffers
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全新规划法则
按照传统的规划方法，你会将你的工作从高、中、低3个等级依次做出排列，也有能你会制定出比这更没有意义的规划。这些传统的规划方法已经过时，在当今工作领域中已失去其有效性。事实上，大卫艾伦在著名的《结束你的工作》一书中常常对于规划的重要性不予重视，他声称其实每一件工作都有同等的重要性，不然你也不会首先考虑完成它们。这里就隐含了我之前所谈到过的一个“需要做或者不需要做的态度”，当你感到不断地被迫去做一些事情时，这个态度可以保证你一定不会被烦得焦头烂额。通过巧妙地、与众不同地方式制定出一份规划成为了人们日益关注的焦点，这就需要我们将时间管理纳入考虑范畴中。
* 需要做
需要做的事情指的是你必须要去做的事情，如果你不去完成它，那么会产生严重的后果。最好的例子就是当你收到电力公司最后催款通知后，如果你不去负款，你就会面临断电的后果。对于你的不做为，这当然不是一个另人愉悦的结果。同样的，如果你去总部和主管们一起开会而没有带上重要的文件，那么你很有可能面临被解雇的危险。
* 应该做
被列入该规划的任务如果你不完成可能不会导致非常严重的后果，但是鉴于一些原因如道德或者经济原因，你有责任义务去完成它们。再拿电力负款单来说，你应该早些时候就去负款，以免日后会收到警告催款单。当你在经济上窘迫之时，这样做也许会让你避免一些压力感和混乱状况。
* 想要做
该类事情如果你不付之行动，不会带来任何结果。该类事情包括一些你喜欢做的事情，出于你个人满足感或者是仅仅让你感到愉悦，所以你想要去做。比如玩电脑游戏、观看电影等。
值得注意的是，有些事情不仅仅只涉及到以上的一个分类。比如说，一些你需要去做的事情恰好又是你想要去做的事情（如为自己的结婚纪念日买一份礼物）。的确，高优先级当然要占据优先地位。无论你的事情是属于哪个优先级分类，该分类都可以帮助你理顺工作流程，排除糟粕。当然你也会遇到一些事情不属于这三类优先级，如果是这样的话，你就不需要付之行动。你不需要去做、不应该去做、也不想要去做的事情，那么你又为什么要去做呢？
也许你会发问我说的这个悠闲级分类和传统的高、中、低登记排列规划方法有什么不同。首先，需要做的这一类意味着要求更加强调采取行动。其次，是时间因素。当你收到一张帐单，你并不需要现在就去付款。搁着一个星期，当付款截止日临近，付款的事情就变成了你需要做的事情。因为这个时间因素，你可以非常简单地灵活变通你的工作流程。是不是选择现在繁忙一些，下个星期轻松一点呢？把你的帐单搁置一边，临近付款截止日在去处理它们。这样你就可以计划你的工作并且合理分配它们，以致于年不会被工作压迫地喘不过气来。
值得一提的是我想用一个很好的例子来总结我的优先级方法，这个例子是关于假日的（特别是那些你想用来逃避工作的假日）。一个月辛苦工作之后，面对压力重大的工作，你感到自己非常想渴望休息一下；两个月后，长期的压力状态对你产生一定的影响，这时你就应该开始考虑预定一次旅行；三个月后，你已经焦头烂额，在你身心都还未受煎熬之前，你需要度个假了。