When you have lots of things to do, or decisions to make, it can be hard to unravel everything that’s going around in your head.
So here is a simple tool or system for deciding what to do first or what’s important and less important. It involves colour coding.
If you print your lists, use a highlighter pen and if you are online, use colour.
Here are examples of three areas where you can use this system.
A. Tasks
Let’s say you have lots of tasks on your list and putting them in order seems like a giant task in itself.
The Traffic Light System will help you disentangle the vital from the unimportant, or at least what you classify as vital or unimportant today. Tomorrow, your priorities are likely to change.
Take your unsorted list of tasks.
- Highlight in green all the tasks you consider top priority.
- Highlight in yellow all the tasks you consider of medium importance.
- Highlight in red all the tasks you consider to be least urgent or least important.
After this you then have a smaller number of tasks in each group to prioritise further.
- Number your green tasks, with number 1 being your top task, and do them in order of priority.
- Do the same with your amber (yellow) tasks.
- Do the same with your red tasks.
B. Speaking and Presenting
You can use the same system in preparing something you have to say or a formal presentation. It helps you prepare what to say and what to leave out, for example, if you’re given a time limit on your presentation.
You can use this whether jot down notes in bullet points or write out a full text. Highlight in green everything you absolutely want to say. Highlight in yellow what you’d like to say but could discard if time is against you. Highlight in red what you could leave out and that isn’t essential to get your message across. However, it will be a bonus if you can manage all three colour codes.
C. Goals
If you’re looking ahead and considering your goals for the coming year and beyond, brainstorm with yourself all your ideas and jot them down. Apply the system outlined above. Highlight all your key goals in green, the medium in yellow and the less important in red. Now decide what is the most important green goal (number 1) and so on. You may choose to work on a medium (yellow) or lesser (red) goal simultaneously, but the colour coding will keep you mindful of where to focus.
In what other areas of life and work would Traffic Lights work for you?
If you are interested in exploring life coaching further, you are welcome to arrange a free initial call for 20 minutes without obligation. My combination of coaching and 121 training can add quality to your life personally and professionally and enable you to achieve your goals. It will be adapted to you as an individual and your unique circumstances.
