We’ve all had those days. You start at 8:00 AM, you’re in meetings back-to-back, your inbox is a disaster zone, and you finally close your laptop at 7:00 PM feeling absolutely exhausted. But when you ask yourself, “What did I actually move forward today?”—the answer is a frustrating “not much.”
In John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The Law of Priorities teaches us a hard truth: Activity is not necessarily accomplishment. As your coach, I want to help you stop running on a treadmill and start climbing the mountain.
The 3 R’s of Priority
Maxwell suggests that to stay focused on what matters, every leader must constantly ask themselves three questions:
- What is Required? These are the non-negotiables. What must you do that no one else can or should do for you?
- What gives the greatest Return? As a leader, you should spend 80% of your time on the 20% of activities that produce the biggest results (The Pareto Principle).
- What brings the greatest Reward? This is about passion. What fuels you? When you lead from a place of personal satisfaction, your energy is infectious.
Is Your Focus Fractured? (A Quick Self-Assessment)
Before we move forward, take a moment to be honest with yourself. Score each statement using the scale below:
| Score | Description |
| 1 | Never / Not at all |
| 2 | Rarely / Needs significant work |
| 3 | Sometimes / Average |
| 4 | Often / Above average |
| 5 | Consistently / A core strength |
- [ ] The 80/20 Rule: I know which 20% of my tasks produce 80% of my results, and I protect that time fiercely.
- [ ] Delegation: I regularly hand off tasks that others can do 80% as well as I can.
- [ ] Boundary Setting: I am comfortable saying “no” (or “not now”) to good opportunities so I can say “yes” to great ones.
- [ ] Daily Planning: My “To-Do” list is prioritized by impact, not just by what arrived in my inbox first.
- [ ] Vision Alignment: Every major project on my plate directly connects to our organization’s primary goal.
Your Score:
- 20-25: You’re a Priority Pro. You’re likely achieving high results with less burnout.
- 15-19: You’re “Busy-Productive.” You’re doing a lot, but you’re leaving growth on the table.
- Under 15: You’re in the “Activity Trap.” We need to prune your schedule immediately.
Why We Get Distracted
Even the best leaders fall into priority traps. In my coaching sessions, we often find these culprits:
- The Tyranny of the Urgent: Letting loud, small problems drown out quiet, big goals.
- The “Hero” Complex: Thinking you have to do everything yourself to ensure it’s done right.
- Emotional Debt: Feeling guilty about saying no to people, even when their request doesn’t align with the mission.
How We Sharpen Your Focus Together
Shifting your priorities requires more than just a new planner; it requires a mindset shift. Here is how we’ll tackle it in our coaching partnership:
- The 3-R Audit: We’ll sit down and categorize your entire workweek. We’ll identify what to keep, what to delegate, and what to delete entirely.
- Strategic “No” Training: I’ll help you develop the language and the confidence to set boundaries that protect your highest-impact work.
- The Goal-to-Task Bridge: We ensure that your daily calendar isn’t just a list of chores, but a strategic roadmap to your biggest vision.
“A leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, ‘Wrong jungle!'” — Stephen Covey (cited by Maxwell)
Ready to Reclaim Your Time?
Don’t let another week disappear into the “busy” void. Let’s make sure your ladder is leaning against the right wall.
- The Priority Pivot (90-Minute Intensive): Total calendar cleanse to find at least 5 hours of reclaimed high-impact time weekly.
- The Focused Leader (3-Month Coaching): Deep habits of prioritization and strategic thinking.
- The Visionary Retainer: For the leader who needs a partner to keep them focused on the “big picture.”
Click HERE to schedule your Priority Discovery Call.
Coming Up Next…
Prioritizing the right things is essential, but sometimes, getting to the next level requires a trade-off. In our next post, we’ll discuss the “price of leadership” with The Law of Sacrifice.
