Your time and energy are finite, so it is imperative to have absolute clarity on what things are important versus those that are simply urgent. Too often these are confused and, as a result, we find ourselves moving from one urgent task to another but failing to make meaningful progress toward the things that truly matter.
Often, the reason is because goals, objectives and tasks are conflated and viewed as synonymous—they are not. Goals represent significant aspirations that you set out for yourself. Using a driving metaphor, think of them as destinations (e.g., gaining an advanced degree, owning your own home, ensuring your child becomes a well-adjusted and successful adult). Objectives represent the milestones on the road toward your goals; think of them as checkpoints. Tasks represent the numerous things that must be accomplished in order to achieve your objectives; think of them as your checklist before you depart for a road trip. These may seem like distinctions without a difference but they are not, and it is important to understand the difference between the three to begin effectively prioritizing.
Start with your goals and plan backwards.
When developing a military strategy, the first thing that is always defined is the end state—or goal. A great deal of consideration is given to this concept and many questions are exhaustively analyzed, such as: What is the goal? Is it realistically attainable? What obstacles might impede achieving the goal? What assets will assist in achieving the goal? Once the goal is decided upon and clearly understood by the team, the next step is to reverse engineer the plan to make it a reality. In other words, you backward plan from the goal by developing a series of objectives and tasks that originate with where you are at the current moment. This counterintuitive approach mirrors the childhood maze-solving technique, where beginning from the center unravels the maze’s complexity with surprising ease. While it might not be the proper way to complete a maze, it shows that sequence matters. In life, there are few rules about what comes first, it is largely up to you. Rely on proper sequencing, mentors and research to find the most efficient path to achieve your goals. Always keep in mind the timeless adage, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” So figure out where you’re going before you begin.
Categorize your missions.
In our daily lives, we often face more tasks than we have time to complete. Demands for your time by colleagues, family members, and others must be prioritized along with everything else you are responsible for accomplishing. Military planning uses a three-tier prioritization system: (1) mission-critical, (2) mission-essential, and (3) mission-enhancing. Mission-critical tasks are the nonnegotiable— unattained, success is not achieved. Essential tasks meaningfully contribute toward achieving your goal, while enhancing tasks offer value but aren’t imperative. When considering the many demands for your time, try binning each of your goals, objectives, or tasks into one of these three categories. At first, you may find that you have a disproportionate number in the mission critical category. This is not unusual, however, in time you will find your categorizations becoming more objective, less emotional, and less influenced by a “false sense of urgency.”
The last point, a false sense of urgency, is an important concept that is worth a bit more examination. There are certain occupations that require making meaningful, split-second decisions (e.g., law enforcement, emergency medical services, or combat operations); however, in most instances you have time to deliberate on what your preferred course of action might be. Too often, though, people are tripped up by a false sense of urgency. As a result, they either misprioritize a task, thereby subordinating other tasks that may be less urgent but more important, or worse, make a rushed and catastrophic decision. It is in these moments that it is critical to pause and properly assess the task’s true level of priority before simply reacting out of a misplaced sense of urgency.
Plan for contingencies.
In the SEAL teams, meticulous contingency planning precedes every mission, anticipating variables to prioritize success. Imperfect yet essential, this process offers a framework for sound decision-making particularly when things get chaotic. The same methodology, adaptable to everyday life, is a best practice for navigating the unpredictable tides and currents that life presents, and serves as an additional hedge to achieve success in the priorities that you have chosen. A useful military acronym for contingency planning is PACE: primary, alternate, contingency, and emergency. While most frequently used in “communications” planning (e.g., satellite radio, encrypted cell phone, beacon, and strobe), it has far broader application that can be adopted to any important decision or course of action. Developing a PACE plan involves developing four levels of contingencies if things don’t go as planned. When was the last time you developed multiple contingencies when facing a significant decision?
Excerpted from Bullets, Basketballs, and Boardrooms. Copyright © 2024 by Jim Brogan, Dave Hubinger and Andrew Pence.
