In the first part of the past decade, I used to pick 3 areas/themes I wanted to prioritize as part of my annual review. I had mixed success with them. Some years, they worked out great. In others, they didn’t at all.
The only common factor in my successful attempts that I identified was simplicity.
There were years when I had a hard time remembering my themes and sub-themes. A recipe for failure.
So, I’ve gradually simplified both my templates and my goals. I don’t expect to see more than 2 priority areas. If there are more than 2 and if they’re hard to remember, they’re unlikely to get done.
This drives home an important related idea. If I struggle to remember a list of goals I deem important, imagine how hard it is for our teams and organizations to remember lists of priorities.
Simplicity in prioritization and communication go a long way in helping us get things done.
