The three priority levels
You may have to say yes to something that doesn't necessarily fulfil you. When in doubt about what to prioritize in your life, use the three-level prioritizing system.
- Escalate: Important and urgent. These tasks are pushing us toward long-term goals and have a pressing deadline.
- Cultivate: Important but not urgent. These activities will grow us and move us closer to our end goals but have no deadline. It's easy to let go of these tasks, but they deserve the most emphasis.
- Accommodate: Unimportant but urgent. These tasks have a pressing deadline but don't help us reach our long-term goals, such as a messy kitchen. Spend as little time as possible in this section.
When we use a priority list, we work by priority and stop wasting energy deciding what to do next.
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