Bracketology with Mike

By: Michael Beiter

Hey,

I hope you're doing well! Today, on the first day of March Madness I wanted to share with you a technique that I've found incredibly helpful in managing priorities and making progress towards our goals. It's called the Tournament of Priorities, and it's a simple yet effective way to clarify what needs to be done next.

Here's how it works:

Brain Dump: Take a moment to jot down all the tasks and actions that are swirling around in your mind. Don't worry about organizing them just yet—just get everything down on paper

Separate Tasks: Once you have your list, break it down into individual tasks. If you're using sticky notes, write one task per note. This step helps us focus on each task independently.

Pair Up Tasks: Randomly pair up tasks into brackets. It doesn't matter which tasks you choose—just group them together two by two. If you’re using a

Determine Winners: For each pair, decide which task should take priority right now. Consider factors like readiness, impact, and urgency. Choose the task that you feel most prepared to tackle or that will have the greatest impact on your goals.

Reflect: Take a moment to reflect on why you chose each winner. This reflection will help you understand your decision-making process and make future decisions more efficiently.

Set Aside Losers: Don't discard the tasks that didn't make the cut. Instead, set them aside for later consideration. They may become more relevant in the future.

Repeat: Pair up the winners from the previous round and repeat the process until you've narrowed down your options to the final two tasks.

Final Selection: Choose the ultimate winner from the last round—the task that you'll focus on next. This will become your next step towards achieving your goals.

Implementation: Integrate this prioritization technique into your daily routine to help you stay focused and progress toward your goals.

Using the Tournament of Priorities, you can streamline your tasks and focus on what truly matters. It's a simple yet powerful tool that can help us make informed decisions and stay on track toward our goals.

Please try it and let me know how it goes! If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to contact me.

I like using cultural trends to influence personal growth. It may be madness on the hardwood, but this tournament produces clarity.

Mike