My Top Prioritization Strategy for Your Online Business

October 18, 2022

Gold frame with dark-haired woman sitting at desk looking at laptop and title Simplify and streamline your workflow with my #1 strategy! stefaniegass.com/blog

Is sitting down to work on your business a struggle? Do you find there’s so much to do that it’s overwhelming, so you do it in bits and pieces? Maybe you reply to a few emails and then you end up on social media. Do you want a proven prioritization strategy so that you can be clear and efficient every time you sit down to work? You won’t want to miss today’s blog!

In this blog, I cover the prioritization strategy that I use every day to make the most of my time and business.

* This post contains affiliate links. This means that I get a percentage of sales at no additional cost to you.

My Prioritization Strategy for Online Businesses: Create Your Non-negotiable System for Time Management

My prioritization strategy is to use a time management system that works for your personality. I use a combination of a paper planner and a task management system.

For my paper planner, I use the Dream Planner from Hocatio Printing (which I adore!). It’s completely optimized for the Christian entrepreneur; it’s beautiful, has Bible verses, is high quality, and has no bleed-through! (And you can get 20% off if you use my code, STEF20). I put all my work blocks, time blocks, and intentions for the week in my planner.

For my task management software, I use Asana (it’s free!). Here, I organize what I do inside each work block or project. This frees my planner from hundreds of to-do list items and reduces that feeling of overwhelm. It also helps keep me on track because I only open the one Asana card I am working on for that block.

1. Plan your week beforehand

In order to know what you’re meant to work on at any point, you need to plan before the week starts. For my prioritization strategy, I plan on Sunday afternoon or evening while my family watches TV together. But this might look different for you.

Gold splatter background with quote You've got to turn off "busy" in order to actually get important tasks done. -Stefanie Gass

Prioritization strategies for your planner:

Time-sensitive events

There may be something time-sensitive that you need to show up for. This can include both work and personal life tasks. I put everything in, from kid pick up and drop-offs to meetings, dentist appointments, client appointments, etc.

Recurring weekly tasks

For me, this means I put in recording all my podcast episodes on Wednesday and my project time each Friday. Because I know these tasks occur each week in my business, I’ll sit down and work on them first.

Time blocks

This is where you’ll block out time to work in your business and complete the three top tasks (which I talk about next). I like to highlight my work blocks in green, but you can choose what works for you. Less is more. Less will create an opportunity for you to be more efficient and effective in your business. It’s so counterintuitive, isn’t it!?

Your top three weekly goals

Figure out the top three goals or projects that you must complete this week in your business. Put them in the left column (the to-do list column) of your Horacio planner (use STEF20 for 20% off). These are more project-based items, the big things that need to get done.

You don’t want to list out every step in your planner because it will feel overwhelming and you might not get through all of them that week. By breaking it up and storing all the steps in your task management software, you can tick them off without having to rewrite everything each week.

Navy blue background with gold splatter and quote The cure to being paralyzed in your productivity is carving your list down, so you're only looking at one or two things at a time. -Stefanie Gass

Top three daily tasks

Your next step in this prioritization strategy is to add your top three daily items to your planner. These might support your top weekly three or be a high-income or impact-producing activity. You can add these daily before you start work for the day instead of at the start of the week if you prefer.

Random to-dos

Once you have all the major tasks assigned in your week, go ahead and schedule all the random things, like checking your inbox, promoting your podcast, and creating content. Put these in a running To-Do list in Asana, so they don’t clutter your planner.

Think of your planner as your compass, telling you where to go and what to show up for. In contrast, Asana is the how, your step-by-step GPS on what to do.

2. Execute your prioritization strategy and planning

Now it’s time to execute! When you sit down to work and see a work block in your planner, you want to look and check what you’re meant to be doing in this order:

Time-sensitive
Top three daily
Top three weekly

Then you just do what you can in that time, check it off, and move on to the next. You only have the time that you have, so you only want to look at three things. Realistically, the average person can only do three things well each day. If you are working full-time in your business, you might have time to do more, but generally speaking, start with a top three each day and week. This will enable you to get a win and be successful at those things.

Teal background with gold splatter and quote If we want to grow a thriving, profitable business, we have to continue to move the needle forward, a little bit at a time. -Stefanie Gass

Do a little at a time

If you want to grow a thriving, profitable business, you have to continue to move the needle forward a little bit at a time. It’s not a race; it’s about doing a little bit and completing it. Not starting a little bit and then stopping or having 100 things going at half of the best of your ability.

Let’s just do three things today and be done. Then do three things tomorrow. If you do three things each day over a five-day workweek, by the end, you’ve done 15 things that support your top three weekly goals. Multiply that by 52 weeks in the year and think about the huge momentum you’ll have created in your online business!

If you want to find freedom in your work, you’ve got to relinquish control of busyness and achievement. God’s called you to this business, so you can rest knowing He’s got this!

Being clear when you sit down to work is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. And having a prioritization strategy doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, having a simple plan like this in place will make your days go smoothly and easily. All you need is one system, a little bit of planning, and execution time. The time you spend planning will be more than made up for in all the extra productivity you’ll find by being organized.

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

P.S. Also, listen to podcast episode 510 for the full training on My Top Prioritization Strategy to Always Know What You Should be Working on in Your Online Business.