Who’s responsible for all of this?

As a business owner, you have approximately 1.74 million things you have to accomplish each day. And no matter how many people are helping you, one thing is always true: YOU are ultimately responsible for the outcome of everything. 

Makes you want to lie down and take a nap, doesn’t it?

Despite how amazing you are (and I know you are!) it’s simply not possible to accomplish everything on your list at one time. At least not in a high-quality way. That’s what makes knowing your priorities so important. 

I have a very favorite prioritization exercise. Made popular by business magnate Warren Buffett, it’s simple and extremely powerful. 

Here’s how you do it:

• Start with a brain dump of everything you want to accomplish. List it all out and don’t be surprised if you have 25, 30, 40 or more things on your list. Just get it all down on paper.
• Review your list and circle your top 5 priorities. Only 5, not 7, not 10; simply 5. 

Ready for the fun part? 

• These five priorities are all you’re focusing on right now. Everything else is “avoid at all costs” until those five are accomplished. 

When I do this in a group, there tends to be a collective gasp, followed by bargaining/pleading. “But Lisa, everything is important. I have to do ALL THE THINGS!”

You may have to do all those things, but I guarantee if you try to do too much at one time, nothing gets done well. As a result, you won’t move forward easily. You won’t have the impact that you want to have. And you won’t reach your goals as a business owner.

That’s why it’s so important to be laser-focused on just a small list of things that need to get done. By focusing on your true priorities, you will have much better outcomes. Promise.