First Things First!

How do we insure that we are doing the most important work each day?

The four “D” system is an easy way to prioritize your work so that you do First Things First. Implementing it helps ensure you are always doing the most important stuff first. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes. Here is how it works:

To begin with, make a list of all of the things you need to do.
Then assign one of the four “D”s to each task.

• The first “D” represents “Do it”. These are the things you want to accomplish during the next few weeks. After identifying these tasks, prioritize them so that you start with the most important task first.
  
  
• The second “D” represents “Delay it”. These are things that you want to do, but can delay until later. Schedule them in your PDA so they are not forgotten.
  
  
• The third “D” represents “Delegate it”. These are activities and tasks that you can get someone else to do. Identify who you are going to delegate the work to and provide specific directions, without micromanaging.
  
  
• Finally, the last “D” stands for “Delete it”. This is stuff you don’t really need to do. Cross them off your list.

By following this system, you will always be focused on your highest priority work so that you move your business and life in the direction you want to be going.