If you have been following the goal setting process so far you should have a list of goals written down in some form from the Record Your Goals step. Now it is time to order those goals by priority. This will help you to choose which goals you want to start working on immediately. In time you will be able to complete all your goals but practically speaking you will only be able to work on one or two major goals at a time.
The priority that you choose for your goals can, and probably will, change in the future. This is normal but it is still important to prioritize them now. This will allow you to choose which goals you want to start immediately and focus on in the near future.
Choosing a priority
There are several factors you can consider when deciding on the priority of each goal. Here are some ideas:
- What is important to you at this time?
- What needs to be done immediately?
- Do any goals have to be completed before other goals?
- Which goal attracts you attention the most?
- Think of each goal — which one feels the most compelling? Which provides you with the most energy to work at it
- Which one is most inspiring? Exciting?
A helpful technique for doing this is to write each goal on a sticky note. Then play with the order and find which ordering feels best.
Recording priority
When you have chosen the relative priority of each goal, record this information with your written goals. How you do this can vary depending on how you have recorded your goals. If you wrote them on paper, you can write the priority beside each goal. If you recorded your goals on your computer you can copy and paste them into priority order.
Related Pages
Record Your GoalsPrioritize Your Goals
Break Large Goals into Sub-Goals
Create a Timeline for your Goal
Breaking a Sub-goal into Tasks
Following Through