Monday Moanin Thoughts #180 Schedule Your Priorities First

Happy Chilly Michigan Monday Moanin to all of you.

Over the last the few weeks I have met with many school leaders and a common theme has emerged. Leaders are struggling getting to what is really important. They shared that management issues are consuming most of their time and energy. During our discussions,  I suggested two strategies that may help them be more productive. Give these a try.

First, Place your most important things on your calendar first. Tim Elmore reminds; “It is not about prioritizing your schedule but rather scheduling your priorities.”

Secondly, list those priorities specifically to your calendar. Do not schedule these appointments in a larger chunk of time. For example if you want to conduct classroom walk-throughs from 9:00-10:00 am.  Try scheduling them like this:

9:00-9:15 Ms. Smith walk through

9:20-9:35 Mr. Jones walk through

9:40-9:45 Mr. Wilson one-legged conference

When you enter them into your calendar at a specific time, it may be more difficult to be distracted by items that are not your priorities. Leaders making this adjustment from general to specific entries are becoming more productive. They still have flexibility in their day and they are getting their priorities accomplished.  Put more time and focus into planning your calendar.

Over the next week give these strategies a try. I believe you will begin to feel better about what you are accomplishing during your day. Good luck!

Have a great week and keep finding the good stuff.