Prioritizing Your Tasks & Routines

Prioritizing tasks may sound like a boring 'pre-task' to any routine, but we here at Brili want to help you find an easier way. Download Brili, the first days are completely free and try out the suggestion below. With Brili your routines should be as creative as you are, the same goes for how you prioritize your tasks.

Completing long lists of tasks can be tricky when we don't prioritize the tasks according to which of them really matter and when we get them realistically done. Prioritizing helps to avoid "procrastivity" also known as getting things done but not the things that actually needed getting done.

Procrastivity is why you clean your entire room before studying for the test you have tomorrow. It's the reason you sent a bunch of emails instead of updating your boss on your progress. It is why you did the laundry and organized your drawers instead of going to that event. You opt for the easier, more comfortable tasks that still provide you with a sense of getting something done.

These easier tasks have their place in every good routine, of course they do, otherwise nothing would ever get done. Therefore a routine shouldn't be only made of big tasks, it should rather be a good mix of easier and harder ones. Having a method for prioritizing these tasks can help to make sure the important and urgent ones get done.

No matter if you're just starting to create your first routine or want to tweak an existing one (skip the first step in that case), here is one technique that we find especially helpful.

1) Write down all the tasks you need completed in your new routine in a rough order as you think of them. Take notes where needed to add to each task card.

2) Group these tasks in "categories" by dragging and dropping them back to back in your routine. If this is a work routine, your categories could be communication/project oriented/ideation/busy work. A category could also be characterized by the place where you complete your tasks. These categories should be your own, all that matters is that the tasks are related in your head.

3) Choose the group of tasks that are the easiest for you to regularly complete, e.g. deleting emails or other tasks that you can do on "auto pilot". Place one or two of these tasks at the beginning of your routine to get into the flow. They are also good to place after intense and lengthy tasks when your brain needs a break.

4) Identify the most urgent, important and time sensitive category, the tasks which are really productive work and help you reach your goals. The hardest of these tasks should be the second or third task in your routine. After these, allow yourself at least a 5 minute break.

5) Place the remaining groups of tasks one after the other in your routine. Add a short break after each group of tasks to acknowledge that you just got productive work done.

Remember to be kind and patient with yourself when changing your approach to getting things done. Making progress on only one critical task in your routine is better than none. You can always reach for higher goals later.

If you have created a prioritization method you find quick and effective, please share it with the us!