Career

How to Set Clear Priorities When Everything Needs Doing

Published

8 months ago

September 10, 2023

When dealing with a demanding workload, it’s easy to become swallowed up by all your “to-dos.” In an effort to get everything done at once, you’re likely to fall short. Unlike The Flash or other superheroes, you have reasonable limits to how much you can accomplish in a single day. Setting clear priorities is essential for ensuring you get the most important tasks done first. You don’t want to hold a checked-off list of mundane accomplishments at day’s end and realize your most critical jobs are still pending.

Task prioritization is a clever way to make sure you don’t fail to complete your most pressing responsibilities. It’s also a crucial tool for avoiding burnout. Chasing too many tasks at once is a great way to overextend yourself and become overwhelmed. This is especially true if you’re a chronic overachiever who never learns how to recognize and correct priority overload. Protect your psyche and learn how to work smarter instead of harder by setting clear priorities.

Achieve Strategy Alignment

To ensure critical tasks take priority, you must first separate your to-do list items by order of importance. This can be difficult to do professionally, unless you have clear communication with the manager or team initiating your to-do list. You might assume some action items on the list take precedence over others. But management could have a completely different order of priorities. In this situation, achieving strategy alignment can help everyone get on the same page and work toward the same goals.

Strategic alignment is the process of clearly communicating directives through the employee ranks. It also involves assigning pertinent tasks and instructions to the correct individuals or teams. It’s a top-down process of communication that sets clear expectations and priorities on a company-wide basis. It takes the guesswork out of prioritizing daily tasks so teams and individuals can focus on their most critical responsibilities first.

Use the Priority Matrix

There may be times when everything on your list of responsibilities feels equally important. This is more likely to occur when you’re approaching a deadline, preparing for a product launch, or facing a similarly urgent scenario. Learning how to prioritize when it seems impossible to do so is imperative for your success and your sanity. The priority matrix is a technique that can help you determine the value of each task. Once you do so, you can prioritize what you focus on first based on its defined value.

The Eisenhower Matrix is one popular example of a priority matrix that works well. To practice this technique, start by drawing a 2-by-2 grid, creating four quadrants. Your most important and urgent tasks go in the top right box, Quadrant I. Less critical responsibilities that don’t need to be done immediately will go into the bottom left box, Quadrant IV.

Focus on finishing Quadrant I tasks first. Once those are under control, shift your attention to Quadrant II. If you can, try to delegate Urgent but Not Important tasks in Quadrant III. Eliminate as many responsibilities as possible that are labeled as Not Urgent and Not Important in Quadrant IV; They’re usually not worth your time.

Develop Delegation Strategies

There may be times when your list of actionable items is full of equally or similarly important responsibilities. If this happens and you know you can’t complete everything within a favorable time period, it’s time to delegate. Delegation isn’t always an easy skill to develop, but it’s one of the most important success strategies for effective management. It involves strategically transferring task-specific responsibilities from one person to another.

Before delegating, identify which important and urgent responsibilities you can handle yourself. Be realistic about what you can accomplish to avoid overpromising and under-delivering. Next, select which tasks you need to pass off to someone else. Identify the right person for the right job by considering qualifications and experience. Delegating to the wrong person could add to your workload in the long run, if you have to correct their mistakes.

Use Productivity Tools

Setting priorities is all about boosting productivity. If you give every duty on your list of responsibilities the same level of importance, you’ll eventually experience burnout. This is a state of emotional and/or physical exhaustion that can lead to professional stagnation. Anyone who’s experienced burnout knows it is one of the greatest enemies of productivity. But productivity tools and resources can help you work through it to achieve more of your goals.

There are many tools available to help you improve productivity. Some of the best options include downloadable apps to help you organize your time. For instance, apps like Trello, Asana, or Todoist can track how you spend most of your time, so you can make adjustments as needed. They provide a visual representation of to-do list items and deadlines, helping you stay on top of your workload. Keep in mind, you may need to try several different apps until you find one that delivers the best results for your productivity needs.

Take a Breath

Remember, setting priorities isn’t just about getting things done; it’s about working smarter, not harder. By implementing these strategies, you’ll not only enhance your efficiency and productivity but also safeguard your well-being in the process. So take a breath, step back, and use these techniques to navigate the demands of your workload while maintaining your sanity.

Career

Report: NEET SS 2024 May Not Be Conducted This Year Due to the Admission Delay of the 2021 Batch

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2024

Subhashree Panda

Report: NEET SS 2024 May Not Be Conducted This Year Due to the Admission Delay of the 2021 Batch

An RTI or Right to Information request was submitted by Dr Vivek Pandey, an activist, regarding the advancement of the NEET PG 2024 examination.

The NMC, National Medical Commission has responded to the request regarding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024 test.

The same reply by NMC also revealed the status of the NEET SS (Super Specialty) examination for the current academic year. It is anticipated that NEET SS 2023 might not take place this year.

As per the RTI, the 2021 academic year admission procedure for DNB and MD/MS courses took place from January to May 2022. Thus, the chances of NEET SS 2024 being conducted this year are low.

RTI further added that the exact date of the examination in 2023 or 2025 will be decided in the future, reports India.com.

About The Minutes of the Meeting of NMC

Dr Vivek Pandey shared the Minutes of Meeting of NMC. It quoted,

“Regarding NEET SS 2024, it was decided that as admissions for academic year 2021 for MD, MS and DNB courses were held only in January to May 2022, therefore, NEET SS 2024 may not be conducted in the current year. However, the exact date of conducting NEET SS 2024 in the year 2025 will be decided later.”

The meeting took place on February 21. It was chaired by the President of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, Dr Vijay Oza.

As per Shiksha, other participants in the meeting included the Deputy Secretary, PGMEB, NMC: Sh Aujender Singh; Joint Director, NBEMS: Dr Vinay Gupta; Dr Rakesh Sharma OSD, NBEMS; Dr B Srinivas, DDG (ME), MCC and Secretary, NMC; Prof M Bajpai, Hony Executive Director of NBEMS.

The panel finalized the date of the NEET PG 2024 examination. It has been finalized to be conducted on June 23, 2024.

The panel discussed the pattern of examination of the upcoming NEET SS.

Until now, the entire schedule of the NEET SS 2024 examination has not been revealed yet. However, it will be announced, once decided.

Also Read: Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu Exposes Fake Twitter Account Spreading Rumors on HSLC Exam Results, Shares Screen Shot On Social Media

India News

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu Exposes Fake Twitter Account Spreading Rumors on HSLC Exam Results, Shares Screen Shot On Social Media

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Manoj Nair

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu Exposes Fake Twitter Account Spreading Rumors on Exam Results, Shares Screen Shot On Social Media

It was another case of fake news in which a rumor spread that the results of Assam Higher Secondary exams had been released. The fake news spread quickly, requiring the intervention of Assam’s Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu, who exposed the details of a fake Twitter account spreading rumors about exam results.

On Friday, Assam’s Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu, took to social media to debunk the fake news that the Secondary Exams results of Assam had been released. The Minister clarified that the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) are responsible for declaring the exam results, and they will be declared according to their predetermined schedule.

Additionally, Minister Ranoj Pegu shared screenshots of the fake Twitter account bearing his name and allegedly spreading false news about the announcement of results for the HSLC & HS Examination, 2024. The screenshots revealed that miscreants had attempted to spread the fake news that the results of the Secondary Exams would be declared on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

Minister Ranoj Pegu also clarified that the claims were entirely false and once again exposed how easily such false information can spread on social media. This underscores the need for readers to remain vigilant and verify information from credible sources.

SEBA and AHSEC are tasked with conducting the Class 10 and Class 12 exams, respectively. The Class 10 matric exams concluded on March 4, and the Class 12 higher secondary exams concluded on March 13. In 2023, the Assam board Class 10 results were declared on May 22, and Class 12 HS results on June 16. The results will be made available on the official websites of the board — sebaonline.org, resultsassam.nic.in, and ahsec.assam.gov.in.

Last year, the pass percentage for Class 10 was 72.69 percent. The pass percentage for the Class 12 Arts stream was 70.12 percent, 79.57 percent for the Commerce stream, and 84.96 percent in the Science stream.

The Assam Board of Secondary Education is expected to release the Assam Board 10th Result 2024 during the first week of May 2024. However, no official announcement has been issued by the Assam Board yet.

Also Read: 911 Outage In US: China Cyberattack Hacking Theories Explored

World

NASA Providing Internship Opportunities: Check Last Date To Apply, Eligibility Criteria, and Other Details

Published

4 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Subhashree Panda

NASA Providing Internship Opportunities: Check Last Date To Apply, Eligibility Criteria, and Other Details

The legendary National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, is currently looking to appoint interns!

The Fall 2024 Internship Session is currently being opened by the leading space agency and inviting applications from interested individuals, reported NASA.

Interested candidates and students can apply for the internship provided by NASA on intern.nasa.gov., their official website.

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement on an annual basis accepts enrollment of over 2,000 students via this opportunity.

Under NASA’s pathways programme, recent graduates and students are allowed to apply for “paid internships that are direct pipelines to full-time employment at NASA”.

NASA provides internship opportunities for non-STEM students as well.

Even a virtual "launch" can get scrubbed. 🙅‍♀️

Our fall 2024 internship applications are extended until Friday, Apr. 12 and will close at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Apply: https://t.co/pUmAlqhkvB https://t.co/tzBpQH9sXc— NASA Internships (@NASAInterns) April 5, 2024

The leading space agency announced,

“A common misconception is that NASA only offers engineering internships. Please know that we have opportunities for students who are not majoring in engineering. NASA needs employees with a variety of knowledge and skills. At NASA, our engineers, mathematicians, scientists, accountants, writers, IT specialists, project managers, program analysts, and many other professionals work together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible.”

NASA further added,

“Non-engineering interns may support a variety of business and program management work, including procurement, budgeting, accounting, information technology, and security.”

Eligibility Criteria of NASA Internship

The eligibility criteria for the internship is also an important factor to be taken care of. To apply for the internship, candidates must hold US citizenship and have a minimum GPA from 3.0 to 4.0 on a scale of five.

Candidates of 16 years or older can apply for the internship. The last date to fill up the application form for NASA’s internship programme is April 12, 2024.