Picking Priorities

The first six months of 2023 have been a whirlwind. After writing off 2020, 2021 and 2022 as marginal years, 2023 was supposed to be the year where I outshone myself at work. Armed with great hopes, back in December of last year, I signed up for five projects. Fast forward six months and I have not been a regular contributor to a single one. Now I usually don’t call out my flaws in public, but this year has truly run away from me.

In a recent conversation with my manager, I expressed my frustration in drowning under the urgent and important and that I had been utterly unsuccessful in creating any value for my project teams. His answer was simple – there is no way I was going to be a significant contributor to all five. I had to pick two where I could make maximum impact and let the others go; no matter how passionately I felt about those topics.

Dropping work should be easy, right? Except it isn’t. I signed up to the projects because I found the topics interesting and believed I could make an impact. Yet, projects are designed to be no more than 20% of my time; not accounting for when buried under other non-regular tasks. Halfway through July, it is time for me to pick. I can no longer punt the difficult conversations and distribute my time meaninglessly.

In order to decide which projects to stick to, I started by listing them in order of topics I felt most passionately about. I went back and forth, listed two side by side, scratched one off, tore up the list in frustration and forced myself back to the drawing board until I had a very clear pecking order on paper. I then rated them on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the one that would have maximum impact on my career i.e. get me the visibility, learning and honors in order to eventually get promoted (not mincing words here). At the end of this exercise, I had what I needed but not what I wanted. I had a clear list of what I needed to drop and even though I am going to revisit this list again to ensure I got it right, I am aware that the list may still leave me with some discomfort.

There are three reasons that are holding me back from picking up the phone and letting the project owners know that I’m out.

First, one of the projects that made its way out of my list is one I have been working on for over a year and is led by one of my favorite people in the extended team. Not only does this feel like the ultimate betrayal, there’s also sunk cost holding be back. Yet, I no longer feel as excited about the project as I once did and there are a number of other team members working on the topic who will do it better justice than I.

The other reason is this nagging sensation that if I don’t participate, something valuable will be lost; that the project may miss some crucial winning elements and that just. isn’t. true. I need to be able to trust the team to be able to do their best work and not self-aggrandize my potential contribution. Splitting my attention between five would mean (and has meant) that I give valuable insights to none.  

Lastly, backing out of something is never easy. There is a reason prioritization often comes coupled with the word ‘ruthless’. The internal radio in my head is already running full force ahead: Are the project owners going to be angry? What will they think? What would others on the project say? What are they already saying about my absence? Do they think I’m lazy? Do they think I’m shirking? The radio just doesn’t stop.

Thus, when I sit back and think about my July challenge, I know it has to be this. This is the month I ruthlessly prioritize and do the project owners the justice of letting them know that I am stepping back.

The challenge in my life outside of work is no different. This act of prioritization will eventually need to make its way into all aspects of life if I am to have any chance of pursuing any side hustle(s). Per usual, my challenge to self is my challenge to you. I don’t know whether you are in a similar spot as me. Even if you aren’t, it is mid-year and it is a good time to check in with our 2023 goals and maybe the prioritization will help hit them.

So tell me -are you taking on a challenge this month? If yes, what is it?