By Dani Cohen

Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time in the day? Like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get all your tasks completed?

Honestly? That’s a lot of us. There’s a finite amount of time in the day, and it can be hard to manage all of your responsibilities. Worse, sometimes feeling overwhelmed leads to us “shutting down” and getting almost nothing accomplished.

The secret? Prioritizing. I promise, not everything needs to get done at this exact moment in time – so figure out what’s critical to your success.

I break my tasks down into three categories…

CRUCIAL, IMPORTANT & BENEFICIAL

How do I define each of these?

• Crucial: If I don’t get this completed, there will be some sort of negative consequence. For example: If I don’t create this invoice, I won’t get paid for my work.

• Important: It needs to get done and is definitely critical to you/your goals, but there won’t be negative consequences if it’s not completed immediately. For example: It’s important that I schedule a series of calls with the clients I need to speak to.

• Beneficial: It doesn’t necessarily HAVE to get done, but it will be helpful to you (and will put you a step ahead) if you get it done. For example: If I reach out to 30 potential clients, it will help me reach my long-term goal of expanding my business.

Within each of these categories, I create sections: business, fitness, mental health, etc. These are custom to you and your needs.

Next, pick 2-3 items from the “crucial” category of each section. Create a list – and BAM! Those are your big priorities for the day. I get it – there are other things that you want to get done, other tasks you could hypothetically be focusing on – but time is a limited resource. Use it wisely! You’ll likely find that when you start organizing your tasks in this fashion, it’s actually easier to get more done, and you can start diving into the “important” and “beneficial” categories as well.

Pro tip: Instead of trying to get everything done at once and bouncing back and forth between tasks, really hone in on fully completing one task before moving to the next. Not only will you feel better when you’re able to check things off your list, but when your attention isn’t scattered, you’ll work faster.

Try this out and let us know if they help you work smarter and harder! When you manage your time better, you’ll FEEL better (and of course, have more time to hit the gym!)