Leaders in the mortgage industry typically have a great deal on their plates — but they still need to manage their time well
As leaders in the mortgage industry, we typically have a great deal on our plates. We have a large number of responsibilities and are accountable to a large number of people. It can be easy to get bogged down and start to feel overwhelmed. And it can be incredibly difficult to feel like we're accomplishing anything when everyday feels like a jog on the hamster wheel. Is there anything we can do to bring some order to the mess?
Although it may sound simple, I think a profound step toward managing our workloads more productively is to take a few moments to establish priorities. All too often, we simply tackle projects and tasks as they come to us. If we don't have a solid plan in place, that sort of reactive project management is what we default to. Having a plan, though, can change everything.
The first thing to do is to ask a simple question: what tasks would be most consequential if we didn't do them? Oftentimes, we exaggerate the importance of a project. Realizing that it doesn't really have quite the effect that we think could enable us to make it less of a priority and focus instead on more pressing concerns.
Another thing we might want to do is tackle the most challenging item on our list first. All too often, we put off projects because they are difficult or unpleasant. Getting those tasks out of the way can free us up to focus on other things--without having the burden hanging over our heads.
However we decide to manage our workloads, taking the time to prioritize is absolutely essential to managing our time and projects as effectively as possible.
