Task Prioritization when everything looks urgent

PRODUCTIVITY

Estela Linares

5/8/20241 min read

Ever found yourself staring at an endless to-do list, unsure where to start because everything feels urgent?

The secret? Pause for a moment. Take a deep breath, apply this simple system, and plan your next steps with clarity:

If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. The mental load of deciding what to do with it isn’t worth it—just get it done and move on.

For everything else, categorize immediately:

📅 Schedule it – Block time in your calendar to focus on it, ideally during a deep work session. Prioritize tasks with the nearest deadlines first.

📌 Delegate it – If it doesn’t require your personal attention, pass it on. Free up your time for what truly matters.

Batch it for later – If it’s neither urgent nor important, add it to a low-energy task list to tackle when you have downtime.

💡 Pro tip: Stop thinking in terms of overwhelming, vague tasks. Instead, break them down into the next small, actionable step. This eliminates analysis paralysis and makes prioritizing a breeze!