When you’re planning your to-do list, be sure to take a look at the work you’re planning for yourself. How much of that is really important? And of that, what do you need to do more urgently? Most people do the easiest and most enjoyable things first, without regard to what actually needs to be done. It feels good to check things off your to-do list, but if they’re not the things that really need to be done, you’re not accomplishing as much as you think.
Start with urgent and important work
When making a list of what you need to do, mark each item with a ‘U’, an ‘I’, or both. Start with the items that are marked as urgent and important, even if they are things you are afraid to do. Look for any items on your to-do list that you’ve marked as neither urgent nor important. Copy them onto a separate piece of paper and cross them off your main to-do list. You can refer to that new list when you’re done with everything else. Also, take a close look at items you’ve marked as urgent, but not important. If they are not important, why do they need to do it quickly? Be realistic. Start with what you really need to do.
learn to say no
We often feel pressured to do favors for others, or to sign up for every luncheon and learn or special event that comes along. To stay on task, go over your schedule thoroughly before committing to new things. When other agents, or even customers, ask you to do them favors, tell them you need to contact them before you say yes. Then take a good look at all the facts. Don’t be afraid to say no. You may be surprised at how reasonable people can be when you say no. Explain why you need to say no, and be honest but firm.
Remember the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, named after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. This principle states that 80 percent of our activities produce 20 percent of the results, while only 20 percent of our activities produce 80 percent of the results. Be sure to spend your time on the activities that produce the best results and you will see a huge increase in your productivity.