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ABCDE Method: Prioritising Power

by Eternalramblings, the guy who once tried prioritizing his to-do list and ended up alphabetizing his bookshelf.

 

The ABCDE Method: Decoding the Alphabet Soup of Productivity

Ever felt like your to-do list is a monstrous hydra, sprouting new heads each time you cross something off? Fear not, for I, Eternalramblings, have ventured into the labyrinth of time management and emerged with a sword of wisdom: the ABCDE Method. Ready?


A Quick Primer on ABCDE


ABCDE stands for:

  • A - Tasks you must do. These are the “Save the world” level priorities.

  • B - Tasks you should do. Important, but the sky won’t fall if they’re missed.

  • C - Tasks that are nice to do. These are your optional but delightful cherries on top.

  • D - Tasks you can delegate. Yep, pass these along, because teamwork makes the dream work.

  • E - Tasks you can eliminate. Just don’t.

Now, let’s dive into how this works with the grace of a gymnast and the wit of a stand-up comedian.


A is for Absolutely Must Be Done

Think of "A" tasks as the equivalent of remembering your exam date or anniversary. Missing these could lead to serious repercussions. For instance, in my own life, an "A" task would be publishing this blog post. If I miss it, my readers might riot, and by riot, I mean they might send me passive-aggressive comments. (Based on true story)


B is for Better Get It Done

"B" tasks are like remembering to pay your phone bill. Forgetting once won’t get you in serious trouble, but let it slide too often, and you might find yourself communicating via carrier pigeons. (For people who hate pigeons, lemme break it to you in short, we humans are responsible for their plight, continue this conversation with me on insta if you wish). An example from my life would be following up on an email or whatsapp message. Important, but not world-ending if it’s a day late.


C is for Could Be Done

"C" tasks are the sprinkles on the productivity cupcake. They’re nice to have but not essential. Like organizing your sock drawer or, in my case, finally alphabetizing my book shelf. If there's time, sure, why not? But if not, no one's going to notice that 'Alice in Wonderland' is next to 'Wuthering Heights'.


D is for Delegate It

Delegation is like having a superhero sidekick. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Tasks that fall under "D" should be handed off to someone else. For instance, I could delegate the formatting of this blog post to an assistant, freeing up my time to come up with more witty analogies. Personally, being a detail oriented person, this has been the biggest challenge and lesson for me to learn in recent years. Learn from my mistakes and delegate.


E is for Eliminate It

"E" tasks are the dust bunnies of your to-do list. They clutter up your day but add no real value. Like that recurring meeting that could be an email. Eliminating such tasks is liberating. It’s like Marie Kondo-ing your schedule. If it doesn’t spark productivity joy, toss it. Trying to do everything is a recipe for failure, beware of the trap.


Putting It All Together: The Magical Alphabet Soup

To see this method in action, let’s take a peek at my day:

  1. A Task: Finish and publish this blog post.

  2. B Task: Reply to messages from last week.

  3. C Task: Organize my workspace (because, let’s be honest, it’s a mess).

  4. D Task: Delegate social media updates to someone I hate in my team.

  5. E Task: Cancel that unnecessary weekly brainstorming session that’s more brain-numbing than storming.


By focusing on "A" and "B" tasks first, I ensure that the important stuff gets done. Delegating "D" tasks and eliminating "E" tasks keep my workload manageable. And "C" tasks? Well, they’re there for when I have a few spare minutes.

 

About Eternalramblings:

A guy who once tried prioritizing his to-do list and narrowly escaped organizing his entire neighborhood. I’m here to share my misadventures in navigating the modern world’s quirky challenges. Join me as we learn to master the art of prioritizing without getting sidetracked by the bookshelf.

 

Eternalramblings' Picks for Further Reading (P.S. - If you buy from these links, a small proceeding comes to me and helps me support this blog)


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