Nonprofit leaders tend to be idea people. They see problems and imagine solutions. They meet a potential partner and envision a collaboration. They attend a conference and return buzzing with all the new possibilities.
That creative energy is a gift. But it can also be a trap.
It is easy to fall in love with new ideas. Just because you can imagine yourself doing something — just because you can see exactly how it could work — doesn’t mean you have time to do it. And it doesn’t mean it deserves your attention over everything else competing for your limited hours.
With limited time and resources, it’s essential to prioritize and then focus. I’ve always preached the “Rule of Three”: identify three priorities and keep them front and center. Not ten. Not thirty. Three. You can have separate lists for the day, the week, the month — but at each level, ruthless focus is what separates productive leaders from busy ones.
So how do you decide what makes the cut? I suggest making every new idea run the gauntlet between your heart and your mind.
Your heart comes first. Does the idea light you up? Does this idea feel as if it connects deeply with your mission? If your heart isn’t in it, you won’t sustain the effort required to see it through. Everything you devote serious energy to must pass this test.
But your heart isn’t enough. Your mind then determines where this idea falls in order of priority. How does it stack up against your existing commitments? What resources would it require? What would you have to give up?
Priority management is far more powerful than time management. Don’t let the urgent — or the exciting — rob time from what truly matters. It’s easy to fall in love with new ideas. The discipline is in choosing which loves to pursue.
To learn more about how to prioritize and to focus, visit https://www.appliedwisdomfornonprofits.org/insights/prioritize-and-focus/