Prioritization Advice From a 300-Pound Humming Bird

My parents joke that they want, “we get the job done,” engraved on their tombstone. While I was growing up, they ran the Furniture Factory. Take-your-daughter-to-work day meant tailing my dad as he frantically hustled across the factory floor like a “300-pound hummingbird,” and helping my mom with all things Rolodex and file folders. The smell and sting of saw dust takes me back there to this day.

The factory was organized chaos. Mostly dad’s chaos and mom’s organizing. The one bit of order my dad claimed was his daily priority post-it. Each morning, he’d get to work and write down the most important thing he needed to do that day. Maybe two or three things got on there, but definitely not more given the size of the square and his handwriting.

This seemingly simple task is more powerful than you’d think. To pick a priority means to have enough wherewithal to a) know where you are going b) what you need to do to get there c) letting go of the rest.

While I have not told this story to my clients, many of them have adopted some version of this practice. Sometimes it’s a daily accountability text from me asking “What’s most important to your success today?” Other times it’s a short journaling ritual to dump everything out of their mind and set a focus.

Even if you are more of a hummingbird than a filing cabinet kind of person, I hope you find some joy (or at least utility) in this practice!