Do What Matters Most

Are you always busy but never seem to accomplish what truly matters? Discover how focusing on priorities can transform your life and make every day more meaningful.

1. The Power of Prioritization

Managing time effectively starts with understanding what truly matters most. Many people find themselves overwhelmed and busy but not necessarily productive. Just like a fighter pilot focusing on essential signals in the cockpit to stay alive, prioritizing crucial tasks can determine success or failure in work and life.

Instead of jumping into every task or reacting to what seems urgent, this method encourages you to work smarter by focusing on what’s truly significant. The "do what matters most" approach emphasizes analyzing and prioritizing tasks systematically, allowing you to make better decisions instead of being dictated by deadlines and chaos.

For example, the authors recount a story about an airforce pilot whose task saturation nearly led to a mid-air collision. This illustrates the importance of focusing on critical tasks—both in life-threatening scenarios and everyday situations.

Examples

• Fighter pilots avoid distractions by focusing only on primary instruments.
• Executives report their biggest challenge is focusing on top priorities amidst chaos.
• The method teaches writing goals and visions to filter out unnecessary tasks.

2. Start by Taking a Step Back

Before you can prioritize, you must first understand your current approach and habits. Reflection helps identify where you spend most of your time and whether those activities align with your priorities. Amy, an accomplished executive, realized her busy schedule came at the cost of her family relationships.

Breaking down your tasks into the "do what matters most" matrix can help. This system categorizes activities by high or low stress and importance, enabling you to identify where you need to invest your energy.

People often unintentionally spend time on low-priority tasks—like procrastination and unnecessary meetings. By taking a step back to assess and reshuffle your priorities, you can shift your focus toward impactful, high-priority actions.

Examples

• Amy restructured her work-life balance to connect better with her family.
• Category two activities like planning ahead can reduce stress and keep you productive.
• Spending less time on low-value tasks allows more energy for what matters.

3. Craft a Personal Vision for Each Role in Life

Imagine building a house without a blueprint—you’d end up with chaos. Similarly, you can’t create a fulfilling life without a clear vision. A personal vision is about reflecting on the person you want to become in the long term and aligning goals for each role you play in life.

By writing a vision for roles like parent, friend, employee, or leader, you create a mental map to guide your actions. Use powerful, present-tense statements like "I inspire my friends with positivity," which evoke both excitement and discomfort, challenging you to grow.

This exercise doesn’t just clarify your priorities; it makes them emotionally compelling and real. It gives a clear sense of purpose to each area of life.

Examples

• Writing "I am a supportive parent who spends Sundays with my family" brings focus.
• Managers can create a vision such as "I develop a highly motivated and efficient team."
• Self-care roles like "I commit to exercising five days a week" ensure personal growth.

4. Translate Vision into Annual Goals

To turn vision into action, you need measurable goals. Goals act as stepping stones to achieve what you envisioned. These should be specific and tied to a timeline, ensuring you can assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

Using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) framework makes goals easier to follow. For instance, instead of vaguely saying you want to “be healthier,” a SMART goal like "reduce resting heart rate to 66 BPM by August 31” gives something tangible to work toward.

Creating a yearly timeline for these objectives—spanning personal and professional goals—not only lends purpose but relieves the stress of ambiguity.

Examples

• Break larger aspirations like "Start running marathons" into specific mini-goals for the year.
• A father resolving to spend an hour weekly with his son shows how time-bound goals work.
• Adding due dates like "Plan all holiday travel by November 15" avoids last-minute stress.

5. Plan Weekly Activities in Advance

Just as pilots go through pre-flight planning to avoid disaster, you can navigate your week better with pre-week planning. This habit helps you prioritize tasks and align them with your long-term objectives before the busyness of the week takes over.

Dedicate 20–45 minutes every week to outline what you need to accomplish. By tying tasks for the upcoming week to your larger annual goals, you ensure daily activities build toward something meaningful.

Avoid leaving this exercise for Monday morning when time might already be tight. Fridays or weekends are optimal for setting a clear path for the next week.

Examples

• Blocking off planning time ensures you’re prepared for the week ahead.
• Reviewing goals ensures even small steps, like writing emails, align with bigger ambitions.
• Scheduling prevents leaving important tasks to the last minute.

6. Give Every Task a Time and Date

Having a to-do list is not enough—you also need to schedule tasks on your calendar. This ensures that even small, routine tasks get done because they are tied to a specific moment in your day.

When high-priority items are calendared, they have a better chance of being completed. For example, a man repaired his relationship with his estranged son by scheduling a phone call. Without putting it in writing, this intention could have been postponed endlessly.

Effective scheduling creates accountability and keeps distractions at bay throughout the day.

Examples

• Scheduling specific hours for mentoring juniors ensures consistent effort.
• A set date and time for family calls fortifies relationships.
• Regularly slotting workouts builds fitness habits over time.

7. Separate Stress from Urgency

Many tasks seem urgent but often aren't important. By thoughtfully distinguishing between urgent and essential tasks, you avoid burnout and focus your energy on meaningful actions.

For instance, sorting out last-minute logistics feels pressing but stems from not preparing ahead. When you prioritize low-stress but important actions, you reduce the number of emergencies demanding your attention.

This framework focuses your efforts on simply responding to what's critical instead of scrambling to catch up.

Examples

• Planning a vacation months early leaves room for flexibility.
• Timely preparation prevents urgent last-minute work tasks.
• Categorizing goals helps minimize overreaction to faux emergencies.

8. Engage Your Entire Team in Goal-Setting

Teams that organize around shared priorities perform better and reduce redundant work. If you are part of a group, encourage each member to align their personal objectives with collective goals.

You can use Monday meetings to align everyone’s weekly priorities without micromanaging. Additionally, invite individuals to practice personal goal-setting to create balance and accountability.

This method not only applies to organizations—it works with family or friends too.

Examples

• Hosts working together for an event avoid duplicated efforts.
• Teams using shared tools like Trello to track progress streamline operations.
• Discussing priorities at regular intervals uncovers overlapping goals.

9. Review and Reflect Often

Success in prioritizing isn’t a one-time effort—it requires actively reviewing and refining your strategies. Take a few minutes every day to revisit your top goals and what actions will move them forward.

Consistent feedback and self-assessment keep you aligned with long-term goals. It’s a simple but transformative habit that ensures steady progress.

Examples

• Reviewing goals helps you weed out non-essential distractions daily.
• Weekly reflections uncover new opportunities or areas needing focus.
• Routinely celebrating milestones energizes your efforts toward the next goal.

Takeaways

1. Set aside 20–45 minutes at the end of the week to plan your upcoming week.
2. Write out a personal vision statement for each key role in your life, and keep it visible.
3. Begin each day by identifying and focusing on the top two or three priorities.