Prioritizing Strategies to Stay Sane, Focused, and Fulfilled at Work and at Home

By Dr. Mary Kelly, Economist, Leadership Strategist, and Time-Management Realist

If you feel like you are constantly juggling flaming chainsaws labeled urgent while trying to gulp your coffee and respond to 447 emails, you are not alone.

Balancing professional demands with personal priorities feels like an endless game of Tetris—just when you get one area lined up, another piece drops out of nowhere. And if you are a leader, a parent, a partner, a volunteer, or just someone trying to keep it all together without losing your mind, prioritization is not just helpful—it is survival.

The question is not whether you are busy. It is whether you are spending your time on what actually matters.

Let us look at what the research says—and what we can do about it.

The Reality Check: Why Prioritization is Broken

According to a 2024 LinkedIn Workforce Report, 74% of professionals say they feel “overwhelmed” by the number of priorities at work. Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center survey shows that 60% of American adults say they “rarely have enough time” to do the things they enjoy at home.

Even more telling, a Gallup study found that only 15% of employees worldwide are “engaged and thriving” at work. Why? Because they are unclear about what matters most.

In short: We are overbooked, under-focused, and exhausted. And when everything feels urgent, nothing gets done well.

At Work: It is Not About Doing More. It is About Doing the Right Things.

Every leader I coach struggles with one thing: too much to do, not enough time to do it. But when we dig deeper, we discover they are doing things that should have been automated, delegated, or deleted months ago.

Triage Your To-Do List. Ask:

• Is this urgent and important? (Do now.)
• Is this important but not urgent? (Schedule it.)
• Is this urgent but not important? (Delegate it.)
• Is this neither? (Delete it.)

This method is from the Eisenhower Matrix—created by a U.S. President who knew a thing or two about leading through chaos.

Work from Your Priorities—Not Just Your Calendar.
Your calendar should reflect your actual goals. If your number one objective this quarter is client retention, then why is half your day filled with internal status updates and meetings about meetings?

Set “Focus Blocks.”
According to UC Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task after an interruption. Schedule time for deep work—and guard it like it is your last cup of coffee.

At Home: Busyness is different from Fulfillment.

Just like work, our personal lives can feel like a race to keep up – soccer practices, doctor’s appointments, groceries, dinner, laundry, and if you are lucky, 20 minutes of Netflix before you fall asleep on the couch.

But just being busy does not mean we are present or fulfilled.

Schedule Personal Time Like You Would a Board Meeting.
Block time on your calendar for workouts, meals with your family, walking the dog, or sitting on the porch doing absolutely nothing. If it is not on the calendar, it probably will not happen.

Define What “Success” at Home Looks Like.
For some, it is home-cooked meals. For others, it is a clean kitchen and twenty quiet minutes to read. Be clear about what brings you peace and connection—and then prioritize that. You do not have to do everything. You just have to do your things well.

Talk About the Tradeoffs.
A Harvard Business Review study found that couples who regularly discuss and align their time priorities report higher relationship satisfaction. Sit down once a week and ask: “What’s coming up, and what matters most for us this week?”

At the Intersection of Work and Life: The Myth of Balance

Let us be honest. There is no perfect balance. Some days, work wins. Some days your dog’s vet emergency and a broken dishwasher take center stage. Real prioritization is about flexibility paired with clarity.

Here is what works:

1. Establish Weekly Big 3 Goals: One for work, one for personal, and one that improves both (like hiring help, organizing the garage, or learning a new tech tool).
2. Use a Stop Doing List: Write down what is stealing your time and energy but not delivering results. Cut ruthlessly.
3. Build Systems, Not Guilt: Systems (like Sunday planning, batch cooking, or auto-bill pay) reduce daily decision fatigue. Guilt does not.

Final Thought: Time Management is Life Management

We do not just want to be productive. We want to be purposeful.

And when we take the time to clarify what matters—at work and at home—we find that we actually do have enough time. It has just been hiding under a pile of low-priority junk.

The truth? You do not have to do it all. You just have to do what matters most—consistently, calmly, and with intention.

And maybe with a printed list—because some of us still love printers.

Want More?
Download the free 12-Month Productivity Planner, and the Leader’s Guide at www.ProductiveLeaders.com/2025-Success.

Let us stop reacting to everything and start leading with clarity.