Having clear priorities can be the difference between bare survival and thriving in business (and life). Do you know what are the most important tasks and goals in your business?

If not, it is very important to take time out from the activities of your daily routine to set your big goals and priorities. Otherwise, daily tasks, urgent requests, emails and calls will likely consume your time and business. Most of us get so busy with the daily tasks that we lose track of proactively managing our business.

Here are five steps to help you prioritize your schedule.

  1. If you haven’t already, set your company goals and top values.
  2. Write down all the tasks you normally do in a day.
  3. Categorize them into types of tasks (communications, social media, meetings, presentations, projects, etc.).
  4. Identify the ones that provide the most value (either for clients or for your company).
  5. Pick the top THREE tasks that move you toward your goals.
These become your daily priorities to accomplish first each day. Only if they are completed would you do the other tasks. In this way, less important tasks are eliminated from your routine.

What are your priorities?