How to Create a Priority List in 2023 - Quick Guide

Creating a priority list can help you focus on the most important tasks and projects in 2023. With an effective priority list, you can boost your productivity, reduce overwhelm, and ensure you are spending time on the things that really matter.

In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to create a priority list that transforms the way you work. You'll discover different methods for prioritizing, templates and tools to help you build effective lists, and tips to start using your list to get more done.

By the end of this guide, you'll have the knowledge to create a priority list that brings you closer to your biggest goals and priorities this year. Let's get started!

What is a Priority List and Why is it Important?

A priority list is simply a list of tasks, goals, and projects ranked in order of importance. The purpose of a to-do list is to capture all the things you need to do. The purpose of a priority list is to identify the most urgent and important tasks out of everything on your plate.

Priority lists help you focus on accomplishing the tasks that will have the biggest impact on your goals. They prevent you from getting sidetracked by less significant work.

Here are some of the key benefits of creating and using a priority list:

• Helps you focus on the 20% of tasks that produce 80% of your results.

• Reduces feeling overwhelmed by a long to-do list. Lets you tackle the most important items first.

• Ensures you are working effectively on your top priorities and goals.

• Helps you make progress on long-term projects by breaking them into actionable tasks.

• Improves productivity by providing structure and preventing distractions.

• Allows you to delegate less important tasks so you can focus on priorities.

Without a way to prioritize, it’s easy to get caught up doing busywork and urgent tasks at the expense of what's truly important. Priority lists provide a way to differentiate what is both urgent and important.

How to Create Your Priority List: 10 Steps

Follow these steps to create an effective priority list that drives productivity and focuses your time on what matters most.

1. Review goals, responsibilities, and deadlines

Start by reviewing your big goals for the year as well as major responsibilities like work and family commitments. Look at any deadlines or time-sensitive projects coming up. This will help identify key tasks to prioritize.

2. Collect tasks from tools and calendars

Gather up all your to-do items from the various places they reside - notebooks, project lists, email, calendars, task manager apps, etc. Having them all in one place lets you see everything that's on your plate.

3. Break down big projects

For large or complex projects, break them down into smaller action steps that can go on your list. This prevents big projects from falling through the cracks and makes them less intimidating.

4. Categorize tasks

Group tasks into categories like work projects, household errands, financial items, health goals, etc. Seeing tasks organized into buckets makes it easier to prioritize within each category.

5. Identify priorities and rank tasks

Now comes the key step - deciding which tasks are most important and ranking them accordingly. This typically involves asking:

• Is the task urgent?

• Does it align with my top goals? 

• What happens if I don't do it?

• What is the impact, payoff or consequence?

Use these criteria to determine priorities. Number tasks in rank order with #1 being the most urgent/important.

6. Consider Eisenhower Matrix

A useful technique is the Eisenhower Matrix which separates tasks into 4 quadrants: Important+Urgent, Important+Not Urgent, Not Important+Urgent, Not Important+Not Urgent. Focus on Quadrant 1 and 2.

7. Delegate where possible

Review your list and delegate any tasks that someone else could do. This allows you to focus on high-payoff activities only you can do.

8. Assign tasks due dates

To prevent tasks falling through cracks, assign a due date to each one based on its urgency and your schedule. This keeps you accountable.

9. Limit tasks per day

Be realistic about what you can do daily. Ideally 3-5 priority tasks per day. More than this leads to spreading yourself too thin.

10. Keep list visible and update it

Have your priority list visible so it's top of mind to check. Update it at least weekly based on changing priorities and progress made.

5 Methods and Templates for Prioritizing Tasks

There are a variety of methods and formats you can use to document and organize your priority list. Here are some options to consider:

Simple Pen and Paper List

A paper to-do list ordered by priority can be a perfectly effective solution, provided you keep it updated. Use checkboxes to track progress. Draw a line under top 3 daily priorities.

Excel Spreadsheet

Use columns for due date, category, priority rank, status, notes and percent complete. Sort by priority and filter by status to see pending priority tasks.

Project Management Software

Tools like Trello, Asana and Monday.com provide templates for prioritized to-do lists. Useful when collaborating with a team.

Eisenhower Matrix

As discussed above, this organizes tasks into 4 quadrants based on urgency and importance. Helps ensure you focus on top two quadrants.

Mind Mapping Software

Programs like MindNode and Xmind allow you to visually map out tasks and subtasks by priority. Great for breaking down big projects.

Choosing the right format for you depends on your work style and type of tasks you need to track. Try different methods to see which you stick with.

7 Tips for Creating an Effective Priority List

Follow these tips for making a priority list that drives results:

• Focus on most important goals and objectives first when prioritizing. Tasks that align with these should rise to the top.

• Assign a priority number to each task rather than just labeling them high/medium/low. This forces you to really stack rank them.

• Limit your daily priority tasks to 3-5 optimally. Too many defeats the purpose of prioritizing.

• Differentiate between urgent tasks and those with long-term importance. Use this to avoid only doing urgent tasks.

• Regularly review and update your list to adjust priorities as things change. Don't just set it and forget it.

• Build time into your schedule to work on priority tasks, don't just expect to get to them when you can.

• Share your list with colleagues or family members so they understand what you are focused on and can assist.

Tools to Help You Prioritize Your List

The right software and apps can make it easier to create and manage your priority list. Here are some top tools to consider:

• Todoist: Allows you to add priorities to tasks as well as due dates. Syncs across devices.

• Microsoft To Do: Simple, intuitive task manager with priority labels. Integrates with Outlook.

• Remember the Milk: Web and mobile app with priority levels, due dates and notes for each task.

• OmniFocus: Robust task and project manager for Mac and iOS. Powerful prioritization and scheduling options.

• Google Tasks: Lightweight task list with priority levels. Integrates seamlessly with Gmail.

• TickTick: Cross-platform app with priority levels, reminders and habit tracking. Great free option.

• Trello: Kanban-style project boards make it easy to prioritize tasks visually in columns.

• Asana: Web and mobile task manager with priority labels and due date assignments.

Try out a few options to find the task management tool that fits best into your workflow. They can provide helpful structure for your priority list.

Prioritizing Your List by Values, Importance and Urgency

Not all priority planning systems are created equal. Some focus more on values, some on importance, and others on urgency. Understanding the differences can help you pick the right approach:

Values-Based: The key question is: "Which activities will contribute the most value to my life?" You rank tasks based on how they align with your core values.

Importance-Based: The key question is: "What is the relative importance and long-term impact of this task?" You rank by expected payoff.

Urgency-Based: The key question is: "How time-sensitive is this task? When is it due?" You rank by impending deadlines.

Ideally, your priority list combines both importance and time sensitivity. Start by ranking tasks based on importance to your goals and mission. Then, adjust the sequence to account for pressing due dates.

This helps prevent urgent but relatively unimportant tasks from crowding out activities that contribute greater long-term value, a common pitfall.

How to Use Your Priority List to Achieve Goals

The best priority lists are action-oriented. They transform your top goals for the year into concrete, executable tasks. Here’s how to make sure your priority list contributes to your most important goals and projects:

• Identify 3-5 top goals for the quarter or year. This provides focus for your list.

• Break down goals into smaller milestones, tasks and sub-tasks. Add these directly to your list.

• When prioritizing, give high rank to tasks clearly aligned to top goals.

• Schedule time on your calendar to specifically work on goal-related priorities.

• Review goals often to ensure you are making progress via your priority list.

• Check off goal tasks as complete to see your achievements accumulate.

Approaching your priority list with your goals as the guiding force will ensure you are spending time on the things that matter most to advancing your mission.

Benefits of Daily and Weekly Priority Lists

The most effective priority lists are updated frequently, typically on a daily or weekly basis. Here are some benefits this recurring process provides:

Daily Priority List Benefits:

• Gives you focus and structure for the day ahead

• Allows you to track progress and celebrate completed tasks

• Adjusts for changing urgencies and new tasks the day presents

Weekly Priority List Benefits:

• Makes you zoom out and think bigger picture vs just the day 

• Great for reflecting on key goals, milestones and deadlines

• Allows flexibility in scheduling priority tasks across days

• Provides review and accountability for how you spend time

Daily lists help you execute in the moment. Weekly lists help you advance larger objectives and stay accountable. Using both together results in productivity and progress.

Templates and Examples

Here are some templates and examples to give you an idea of how to structure and format your priority lists:

Daily Priority List Template

Date:

3 Must-Complete Priorities:

1.

2.  

3.

2-3 Other Important Tasks:

-

-

Weekly Priority Planner Template

Week of:

Key Priorities:

Monday:

Tuesday: 

Wednesday:

Thursday:  

Friday:

Eisenhower Matrix Example

Important + Urgent: Quarterly taxes due, Product launch prep

Important + Not Urgent: Employee evaluations, Research new products 

Not Important + Urgent: Daily errands, Emails

Not Important + Not Urgent: Social media, Some meetings

Try out these templates or create your own format that suits your style. The key is finding a system you'll actually use consistently.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Items Should Be on My Priority List?

Ideally just 3-8 items daily and 15-20 weekly. Too many defeats the purpose of prioritizing your most critical tasks. If your list gets too long, some items likely aren’t true priorities.

When Should I Update My Priority List?

Revisit your list at least daily for your daily priorities, and weekly for your broader weekly list. Update task rankings or add new tasks as priorities change.

What If I Can't Complete All Priority Tasks In a Day?

If your priority list is well ranked, it’s fine to not finish everything daily. Just roll incomplete tasks over to the next day's list in priority order.

How Do I Balance Urgent Tasks and Important Goals?

Use Eisenhower Matrix thinking - don't just do urgent tasks. Schedule time for important projects by assigning due dates and times to work on them.

How Detailed Should Task Descriptions Be?

Be sufficiently detailed so the task is clear and actionable, but don't overcomplicate. If sub-tasks emerge, separate those into their own items.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

Creating an effective priority list is crucial to focusing your time and energy on the tasks that really move the needle on your goals and priorities. Use the strategies in this guide to build a priority list that streamlines your work and accelerates results.

Key takeaways include:

• Break down goals into actionable priority tasks

• Use methods like the Eisenhower Matrix to rank urgencies

• Limit daily priorities to 3-5 key items

• Update your list frequently as priorities shift

• Assign due dates to tasks to drive completion

• Use templates or software to structure your list

Next steps:

• Review your goals and collect all your outstanding tasks

• Schedule time to build your initial priority list

• Start each day going through your daily priority list

• Reflect weekly on accomplishments and update priority tasks

By mastering the art of effective prioritization, you’ll be able to focus your time like never before. The hours in your day are limited - use a priority list to ensure they are truly well spent driving your success. Now get to it!