Toastmasters' Speech Project # 2 (Organize Your Speech)

Six Ways to Prioritize Your Work


• Who wants to spend more quality time with the family?

• Who wants praise from the boss for a job done on time?


Fellow Toastmasters and Distinguished Guests,

If you want to be able to do all that, you need to know how to Prioritize your work.

Prioritizing your work is an extremely important part of being successful. By organizing your work, you will find it less difficult to finish. Knowing what needs to be done and in what order is the best way to begin your day.

Try making a list each morning of your tasks for the day. There are several ways you can prioritize your tasks. You can try one of the six ways, which I will explain in a while. The way you decide to organize is up to you. If you are unsure which way would work best for you, try one way each day and see which concept you like best.

The six ways to prioritize your work are:

1. Due Date
2. Weight
3. Length
4. Passion
5. Location
6. Ease

Let me explain them one by one.

The First is the Due Date.

The most common way a person can prioritize their work is by due date. When you know when something must be finished, it is easier to find the time to finish it by its due date. Making daily ‘Do Lists’ is a great way to prioritize your work.

If your tasks do not have any concrete due dates, assign them due dates yourself.

Let us now move on to next method or way to prioritize.

The second method to prioritize your work is the Weight of the task.

Tasks that weigh heavy on your mind may fall at the top of your list of prioritizing your work. When you prioritize your work, keep in mind that some things may need to be done first, just to get them off your mind. If you have a task that is weighing heavy on your mind, you may not be able to accomplish much until you complete it. When you prioritize, be sure to put these tasks near the top of your list. By getting them out of the way, you will be able to get everything else done with the least amount of stress.

We have now already discussed two ways to prioritize your work. The third way to prioritize your work is the Length of the task.

This is great for students or workers who must do writing projects. If a task will take a long time, then you probably want to work on it for more than one day. Therefore, put it near the top of the middle of your list each day so that you will have time to work on it each day. If you must get a long project done in one day, consider doing it first. This way you can use your morning energy to get you through the task.

The fourth way to prioritize your work is Passion.

If you are a person who is controlled mostly by the emotions, then consider prioritizing your tasks by passion. This means that you will essentially put the tasks you feel strongest about near the top of your list. If you are excited about a particular task, then you should put it near the top of your daily list. Likewise, if you dislike a task, you may want to get it out of the way first so you can concentrate on the rest of the day when it is finished.

The fifth method is Location of the tasks.

If your daily tasks involve travelling, then it is only right to prioritize your tasks by location. Grouping weekly tasks by location can save you a lot of time and money. If you have a few tasks on the East side of town for one week, do them on the same day. Focus on each area of town, one at a time to get the best results.

The sixth and the final way to prioritize your work is the Ease of the task.

If you like to group your work by degree of difficulty, then you probably want to prioritize your work by ease. This means that you might feel most comfortable doing your easy daily tasks at the beginning of the day to get them out of the way. If you would rather save the easy tasks for the end of the day, then plan to tackle the difficult tasks in the morning, before you are tired from the day.

So fellow Toastmasters, now you know the importance of prioritization of your work and also the six methods for doing it.

You may try out and select any one method to prioritize your work.

Now that you are fully informed, go ahead and prioritise your work to be able to spend more time with your family and or to earn praise from your boss!

Good Luck!

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