How to Prioritize Tasks: 4 Prioritization Techniques

Task prioritization or task management is a methodology you can use to organize urgent tasks into a priority list. Learning how to prioritize work in relation to the amount of time in a workday, or the resources available to you in a workspace, is an invaluable tool in project management. When you focus on tasks that require your immediate attention first, you are better able to maximize your productive output.

Consider using one of these powerful prioritization techniques to complete tasks on your to-do list and improve your work-life balance:

1. 1. ABCDE method: The first three letters of this acronym represent the hierarchy of important tasks. An “A” task is the most important thing (or MIT) on your list, therefore you should do it first. Business professionals often refer to this strategy with the phrase “eat the frog”—a nod to a Mark Twain aphorism. The “B” and “C” tasks represent a lower level of importance and can commence only after you’ve completed the highest-priority task. The “D” stands for important work you can delegate to others, while you can eliminate “E” tasks altogether.
2. 2. Eisenhower matrix: This prioritization tool gets its name from United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who made many tough decisions throughout his long career in public service. Author Stephen Covey took inspiration from Eisenhower to create the Eisenhower matrix, a prioritization framework involving a square with four quadrants that could serve as a way of prioritizing important tasks and eliminating time wasters and procrastination. Similar to the ABCDE prioritization method, the Eisenhower matrix organizes daily tasks into four quadrants with the labels “Do,” “Decide” (or “Schedule”), “Delegate,” and “Delete.”
3. 3. Master list method: This team-oriented approach provides one common list of short-term and long-term goals. Each team member will work to get things done on their assigned priority matrix. The team leader can track progress and specific metrics from this check-in location so that the team will meet deadlines by the end of the day.
4. 4. Pareto principle: In 1896, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto developed the Pareto principle, which people now also call the 80/20 rule or the law of the vital few. The Pareto principle states that twenty percent of inputs lead to eighty percent of outcomes and that the inverse is also true. Since its inception, society has used the Pareto principle to analyze economics, sports, and computing. In terms of task prioritization, you can argue that twenty percent of your effort will yield eighty percent of your results if you focus on your highest-priority work. In other words, the top twenty percent of your most important tasks should account for eighty percent of the entire amount of time in your day.

Consider using one or more of these time management strategies in conjunction with a project management tool to organize your workflow:

1. 1. Avoid overextending yourself. Understand your personal limitations, strengths, and weaknesses. If you become overwhelmed, you should communicate this to your manager or other team members. If you’re able, you can consider delegating some tasks or politely declining more assignments until you once again have a more manageable workload.
2. 2. Keep a record of how you spend your time. One tried-and-true method for learning how to manage your time better is to begin taking notes and tracking everything you do—at work or in your personal life—to illustrate how much of your time you spend on high-priority tasks. You will likely find you can complete more high-priority tasks in less time when you focus and meticulously track your performance.
3. 3. Schedule blocks of focus and relaxation in your workday. In 1926, businessman Henry Ford developed the concept of the forty-hour workweek. Ford argued that after a person worked this amount of time, their production and return of investment began to decline. This law of diminishing returns has a similar effect when someone works or studies without breaks or meals during their workday. For example, an optimal schedule might be forty-five minutes of task-focused work, followed by fifteen minutes of recovery. During periods of focus, it can be a good idea to mute all unnecessary notifications on your phone or computer and minimize any other distractions that might promote procrastination.

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