4 Rules for Identifying Priorities

We all have so many things we could do, that setting our priorities and deciding what to work on next takes up far more mental bandwidth than it should. That’s why I found these four rules, written by Peter Drucker over 50 years ago, so interesting that I wrote them out onto a Post-It and put them on my wall next to my goals :

4 Rules for Identifying Priorities

1. Pick the future against the past;

2. Focus on opportunity rather than on problem;

3. Choose your own direction, rather than climb on the bandwagon;

4. Aim high, aim for something that will make a difference, rather than something that is safe and easy to do.

There is more to deciding (and then actually working on !) your own priorities than following someone else’s rules, but like so many things, sometimes we just need a spark to create the new thought or idea that really does help us move forward…