How to Prioritize Work Tasks and Avoid Missed Deadlines

4 min read
28 November 2022

There are times when deadlines seem unbreakable, but that's not always the case. Learning to prioritize your work and avoiding missing deadlines will make it easier to fit those tasks into your schedule and get them done before they are due. Keeping projects on track and avoiding missed deadlines can be accomplished by following below steps.

Know your deadlines

One of the best ways to prioritize tasks is to make sure that you know their due dates. When you know which work you're accountable for and what it's due date is, it's much easier to focus on it. It may not be obvious to you at first, but if you ask around a little to coworkers in a similar project, they might be able to give you more insight on your timeline.

Create a to-do list

- Create a to-do list for the day.
- Set a timeline for how much time you want to spend on each task.
- If a task can be completed in less than five minutes, do it right away.
- Write down anything you need to remember so you don't forget later.
 
 
Assess the importance of each task
 
Rank first on the priority list, followed by the other tasks. For all other tasks, there is a ranking below that. For example,
i will write blog posts about how to be more efficient at work. 2) I will edit blog posts about how to be more efficient at work. the third thing I will do is plan out my day. The fourth thing I will do is check my email. 5) I will contact clients. 6) I will post on social media. i'll return phone calls. Potential clients will be contacted.
 
Schedule your time
 
Sticking with a work/life balance, it is crucial to find the perfect mix of adhering to schedules and being open to changing plans. To achieve this, keep an appropriate schedule. You can set up a chart or list to plan out all of your daily tasks by marking them off as you do them.
A line can be drawn each day marking when you will work on certain tasks or fulfill different responsibilities to keep you on schedule. Some people also color code their weekly schedules to highlight which tasks are more important than others. As an example, red might be associated with meetings, while green is reserved for time spent on less important things.
 
Delegate tasks
 
To accomplish more of what you are good at, delegate time-consuming and resource-consuming tasks, such as responding to emails or answering phone calls. You can then focus on tasks that need your immediate attention, such as meeting deadlines. If the idea of delegating tasks leaves you anxious, do one or two tasks each week and slowly work your way up to delegating more of them.
 
Use software to track
 
Managers and employees alike can use employee monitoring software to measure employee productivity and to track what they're working on, how they're spending their time, and where they are during the work day. 
Software that sends alerts when task completion occurs or other predetermined events occur (e.g., leaving the office or stopping typing) is also useful for remote workers who aren't usually in the office all day.

Read a comparison of top tools here:

Workstatus Vs Desktime
Hubstaff Vs Workstatus
Workstatus Vs TimeDoctor

Try free trial here

 

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Peter Bennet 2
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