If Everything Is a Priority, Nothing Is

Summer is here, and people are starting to enjoy outdoor activities with their families and friends. Others are traveling and looking for a chance to recharge after working hard since the Christmas holidays. But once we get into August, things will ramp up again as kids return to school and life becomes busy once more. So, I thought I would share a few thoughts about prioritization—something worth keeping in mind because I know many of you are already thinking about the long list of things waiting for you when vacation is over.

Prioritization is one of those concepts that everyone knows is important if you want to complete a task, finish a project, or achieve a goal. Yet, if we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’ll probably admit that we’re not very good at deciding what really deserves our attention.

To prioritize means “to list or rate (projects, goals, etc.) in order of priority.”1 In every to-do list, some items should take precedence over others because of their importance. At the end of the day, if everything is a priority, then nothing is.

People use all kinds of systems to manage their priorities. Some rely on structured methods such as the Eisenhower Matrix, which categorizes tasks based on urgency and importance. Others use the system developed by David Allen in Getting Things Done. I have to admit that the only part of his method I still use is the “2-Minute Rule.” If something takes two minutes or less, just do it. There is really no reason to add it to your to-do list. Others keep simple lists on their phones or in notebooks. Sadly, some people keep their entire to-do list in their heads, which is probably the worst place to keep track of priorities.

While reading a recent article in The Economist, the author discussed research showing that people often make irrational choices when setting priorities. We are reluctant to abandon goals, even when doing so would lead to better outcomes. We also tend to favor tasks that provide a quick sense of accomplishment over those with greater long-term value. The article cites the example of consumers who often pay off small debts before larger, high-interest ones simply because eliminating a debt feels satisfying.

I want to point out that, from a purely financial perspective, paying off high-interest debt first is generally the better strategy. However, depending on where you are in your financial journey, paying off smaller debts first can provide the motivation needed to stick to a budget and continue making progress toward becoming debt-free.

I’m a big fan of Dave Ramsey’s financial strategy—not necessarily him as a person, but his overall strategy. He calls one of his strategies the Debt Snowball Method.

“The debt snowball method is a debt payoff strategy where you list your debts from smallest to largest balance and pay them off in that order—regardless of the interest rate. You attack the smallest debt with every extra dollar while making minimum payments on everything else. Once it’s gone, you roll that payment into the next debt and continue until you’re debt-free.”2

I mentioned earlier that if everything is a priority, then nothing is, and I believe that’s absolutely true. I saw this repeatedly during my time in the military, where everything seemed to be labeled a priority. We either worked long hours and weekends to get everything done, or projects we had already started simply fell off the list when a new boss arrived with a completely different set of priorities. That’s a terrible place to be. Not only do people lose motivation, but organizations also waste valuable time, money, and effort.

Individuals and families can fall into the same trap. They fill their schedules with so many priorities that life becomes exhausting. Have you ever heard stories about parents enrolling their children in every extracurricular activity they can find, only to wonder later why they’re constantly tired and overwhelmed? It happens all the time. Parents spend all day at work, children spend all day at school, everyone rushes to dance lessons, sports practices, or other activities in the evening, and then they hurry home to get ready to do it all again the next day. It’s an incredibly demanding routine and often a sign that priorities have become unbalanced.

I believe we all need to slow down and be more intentional about our priorities. If you put too many things on your priority or to-do list, you leave yourself very little room to be present and actually enjoy life. Let’s try to avoid living on a hamster wheel—constantly busy but never making meaningful progress or reaching the finish line.

One last thought: whenever we add a new priority, we should also be willing to remove an old one. The Economist article concluded by saying, in essence, that effective prioritization isn’t just about deciding what to do; it’s also about deciding what to stop doing. Sometimes the most productive decision we can make is to let go of tasks or projects that no longer align with what truly matters.

  1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prioritize ↩︎
  2. https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/how-the-debt-snowball-method-works?srsltid=AfmBOorbYtGcWmE5Hpg0jV7CLXubHU6LGWnhYUtFV-ojxNXoLONjm20F ↩︎

34 thoughts on “If Everything Is a Priority, Nothing Is”

  1. Love the post, Ed. I believe it is so relevant to our culture today and part of that is because enough is never enough. The demands placed on accomplishing everything yesterday is ridiculous. I know that is untrue in essence, but I want to emphasize what we have allowed to put us in this predicament. Many corporations have people stretched thin for the almighty dollar. However, if you pass out at work, they will just get your replacement. How do we change that as a people? Jobs are needed to sustain reasonable living. One thing I was thinking about is that what involves work stays at work. You can set boundaries for many jobs once you leave for home. What involves is prioritized when at home. One exception that would override the job is a medical emergency or physical danger. Re-evaluation is necessary. My thoughts.

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    1. Thank you, Sandra. I agree that demands and pressures are ridiculous, but we need to push back as much as we can. It’s difficult to do at work, but what you said about boundaries is spot on. If we don’t set those and allow work to interfere with home and vice versa, then we get in trouble.

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  2. Thank you for this important reminder, Edward. I’ve always followed “The Two-Minute Rule.” I’m doing much better at prioritizing my marketing and promotion tasks. I’m giving serious consideration to ROI. I’ve also given up a few volunteer commitments because I didn’t have enough time to write.

    The prioritizing game was a whole other kettle of fish when I was working. This paragraph captures it perfectly. There were times I’d come into work, sit in my chair, and think I’d be just as well of with all the equal priorities if someone spun me around, and I threw a dart at them.

    “I mentioned earlier that if everything is a priority, then nothing is, and I believe that’s absolutely true. I saw this repeatedly during my time in the military, where everything seemed to be labeled a priority. We either worked long hours and weekends to get everything done, or projects we had already started simply fell off the list when a new boss arrived with a completely different set of priorities. That’s a terrible place to be. Not only do people lose motivation, but organizations also waste valuable time, money, and effort.”

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    1. You’re welcome, Liz. For authors like you, ROI is important. You have to spend so much time marketing your books that it’s understandable. Life circumstances will change, so priorities will continue to evolve. Thank you.

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  3. “we all need to slow down and be more intentional about our priorities” – so true! Great post! I’m off to read more about the debt snowball – what a great metaphor! All the best for July – may it be filled with celebration! Linda 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Rosaliene. I even do laundry using the rule. Why wait until the weekend and miss an opportunity to go out with the family when you can take two minutes to put the clothes in the washer? Then, when it’s done, take a minute or so to throw them in the dryer, and at some point, remove and take a few minutes to fold them. I do a bunch of other stuff while doing laundry during the week.

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  5. “…effective prioritization isn’t just about deciding what to do; it’s also about deciding what to stop doing. Sometimes the most productive decision we can make is to let go of tasks or projects that no longer align with what truly matters.” Exactly! The letting go and realigning are nothing short of life-changing. Great post, Edward!

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    1. “Letting go and realigning are nothing short of life-changing,” Amen to that. It’s amazing how much we can improve on a personal level when we do that. Thank you so much, my friend.

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  7. I’ve given up trying to get projects done during the summer. There’s too much competition. Luckily our weather is mild most of the year and so I’ve found hiring folks and getting projects done is less stressful (and often cheaper) either before or after Christmas.

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    1. I hear you. I’m in my 4th year in this house, and I’m getting smarter about when to call people to do certain things. Our AC was checked in early May because trying to get someone in the summer is a nightmare. The feels like temperature in my area today is 106 degrees, so I’m sure the AC technicians are super busy working on emergencies.

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  8. A very down-to-earth post, Edward. You touched a key point here: “if everything is a priority, then nothing is.” There’s no point of prioritizing then. And I loved the idea of removing one priority if a new is added. Some people keep adding things to their lists and wonder why they are overloaded. Thank you for this very insightful and practical information, my friend. Sending you light and blessings 🌟 🙌 🙏

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    1. You’re so welcome, my friend. Re-evaluating priorities and removing what is no longer important is so essential exactly because of what you said. I think it reduces stress in the end. Thank you, and I hope you have a blessed week. 🙏🏼

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  9. A brilliant point made here, Edward:
    “Sadly, some people keep their entire to-do list in their heads, which is probably the worst place to keep track of priorities.”
    Oh my goodness! I couldn’t agree more! Those individual, sometimes errant thoughts, begin to coalesce and grow…turning into burdensome boulders…my head game at its worst!
    Love the nudge about the “two-minute rule”…riding along with the idea of keeping things tidy, touching stuff once rather than shoving it around (thinking about how mail can pile up if I let it).
    Thanks much for the afternoon inspiration! 😊💝😊

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    1. You’re so welcome. Yes, the “two-minute rule” is my go-to during the day. Reviewing the mail and shredding what is not important so it doesn’t pile up is a perfect example of the rule. Thank you, my friend.

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  10. I agree with your conclusion that most of us need to slow down, set priorities, and be more intentional. The biggest challenge is often separating urgent from important, ala Steven Covey’s system from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Thanks for bringing another important topic to light Edward.

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    1. You’re welcome, Brad. I agree with you about the difference between urgent and important. So difficult to work through that. Now that I’m a homeowner, my “urgent” is fixing a leaky pipe and my “important” is saving money for a roof replacement that we need to do in 2034, of course, assuming we are still living here and alive. If I don’t have water leaking anywhere, then urgent is not going to Best Buy to get the latest TV. It’s taking that money and saving it to pay cash for the roof replacement. If I don’t replace the roof when it’s recommended, then it will turn into an urgent matter if water starts leaking from the roof and I need to borrow money to replace it.

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  11. I see this constantly Edward. People want to do well. They’re not trying to sabotage leadership’s goals. But like you say, when everything is a top priority, nothing is. And leaders tend to keep adding and adding, and rarely remove priorities. One leader I know gained so much equity with her team . . . by simply removing a priority that no longer aligned with the bottom line. It was a simple step, but gained immeasurable engagement, alignment, and confidence.

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    1. That’s excellent, Brian. You don’t see that often in a leader. There is nothing wrong with removing priorities that no longer align with organizational goals, and that leader demonstrated tremendous vision. You’re absolutely right about people wanting to do well. But there aren’t enough hours in a day to do it all, and leaders must recognize that.

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