How to Dial In Your Priority & Success Path
A 3-Minute Exercise That Creates Greater Clarity & Certainty
Why Prioritization Matters
Priorities are a funny thing. The more you have, the less of a priority each of them becomes.
Put another way, the enemy of goal achievement is priorities.
What? Aren’t priorities a good thing?
No. Priorities are a trap.
Walk with me for a moment.
Until the early 1900s, there was no such thing as priorities. Although the word priority has been part of the English vocabulary since the 1400s, it has ALWAYS been used in the singular until recently.
This linguistic shift mirrors a broader change in societal expectations: the transition from focusing on a singular, paramount goal to juggling multiple goals simultaneously.
Today, the common usage of ‘priorities’ reflects our increasingly complex lives where multitasking and productivity are highly valued, yet ironically, this dilutes our focus and hinders our ability to achieve our most important goals.
Refocusing on a singular ‘priority’ is a more effective approach in our hyper-connected world.
So, work with me here. You can only have one priority. Only ONE thing can come first.
Once that one thing is achieved, you can put it on a maintenance plan and choose your next priority, but if you have more than one priority, then nothing is a priority.
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”—Stephen Covey
Reasoning From First Principles, The Barbell Strategy, and Systems Thinking are just a few principles I use and share with clients to close the gap between desire and destination.123
Reasoning from First Principles: This method breaks down complex problems into their essential elements to rebuild solutions from the ground up. Setting priorities helps you focus on essential goals by stripping away unnecessary or superficial factors.
The Barbell Strategy: This investment strategy combines low-risk stability with high-risk, high-reward opportunities. Applied to priorities, it suggests balancing secure, foundational tasks with more ambitious, potentially transformative goals.
Systems Thinking: This approach analyzes how parts of a system interrelate and the system’s behavior over time. In prioritizing, it guides you to consider the broader impact of your choices, aiming for a focus on only essential activities that enhance a system’s overall effectiveness.
By integrating these principles, you can refine your approach to setting priorities in a way that is thoughtful, strategic, and aligned with both your immediate needs and long-term aspirations.
To help you dial in your number one priority, write a list of all of the things you’d like to accomplish. Then, whittle it down to three.
What are your top three life or business priorities right now? Then, prioritize these three priorities. Which is the absolute #1 priority right now? What’s a reasonable date by which you want to achieve this? What amount of money, time, or other resources do you need to acquire this?
Now, complete this priority statement.4
My number one priority is _______________ by _______________. I will need _______________ to do this.
Don’t overthink all of this. You can change your priorities and statement if new information or opportunities present themselves. The essential thing is to work on one priority at a time.5
Why?
Let’s break it down with a typical real-life example.