WOW Word-Of-the-Week #435: Priority

December 7, 2012 by  

Prioritiesthose things you do in order of importance or urgency.

How many priorities do you have in a week? Do you keep a list of your priorities as a reminder? Have you ever forgotten something that you considered a priority? How embarrassed did that make you feel?

This week’s WOW is all about my forgetting my priority of writing this week’s WOW. I even had it on my list! I usually write them on Wednesday. This week I totally “spaced it” because I changed my routine. No excuse! But it is the truth.

My husband Chris was invited to the retirement party of one of his past colleagues in Pasadena. He said to me, “You really don’t want to go, do you?” To which I replied, “If I go you get to drive in the carpool lane.” Now that may not sound like a big deal, but if you live in Southern California it’s HUGE.

I really hate sitting in traffic and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. It was a good thing too because it was crazy even at 2:00 in the afternoon. He has also asked me, “Won’t you be bored sitting in the hotel room.” To which I replied, “I’m going to address the Holiday Cards.”

Then on the way home yesterday I realized I had totally forgotten to do my WOW and made myself a note. Then I got home and got side tracked with finishing my Christmas decorating. I have to tell you I am giggling as I write this because I’m really starting to sound like one of those people that are “old and forgetful.”

This week’s focus is on those things you do in order of importance or urgency. Do you ever have a problem juggling priorities? Do you have a system that you use that keeps you on task with you priorities? If you forgot about a priority in the past how did you recover?

Reader Responses

My top priorities are my wife and daughters. They come before anyone and anything else. As for work priorities, when there are numerous projects that have to be completed, I always do those that have to be completed first and the soonest. Then I go in order. There have been times in the past when because of a CHANGE IN MY SCHEDULE(!) I forgot to study for a couple of tests in my freshman or sophomore year of college. On both of the exams I believed that I received grades of D. It happens. Something out of the blue prevents us from keeping our eyes on the prize and we forget. I made no excuses. But going back to grade school I made a habit of writing things down before I forgot them. These days, my wife will ask me in September if I have ordered my new Weekly Minder, which has places for reminders every day of the week. I write down birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, school events, doctors appointments. It actually helps my wife with things that she needs to remember. Every weekend I look at my “little black book” to see what I need to remember that week. Hopefully it is written down. But, suffice it to say, I have my priorities straight every day of the week during the year” – “Warrior” Joe

“I use the tried and true method of making a list of tasks, then checking them off as I accomplish them. Anything left at end of day goes to next day’s list. My Mom was even more productive. She used an normal kitchen timer. She’d focus on a project for an hour till the bell went off, then move to another. That kept the monotony down and she got a lot of chores done every day. When I need to prioritize I will also number the items on list in order of importance.” – Bob

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