5 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

BACKGROUND

Warren Buffett is one of the greatest investors, businessmen, and

philanthropists of all-time. He understands the value of his time and how to
prioritize in order to be successful.

Mike Flint was Warren Buffett's

personal airplane pilot for 10
years. According to Flint, he was
talking about his career with
Buffett one day when Warren
asked the pilot to go through a
quick exercise with him.

Buffett started by asking Flint to

write down his top 25 career
goals. Once this was done, he asked Flint to pick out his top 5 highest priority
goals and circle them.

Flint now had two lists of goals. One list of 5 items of highest priority, and a
second list of 20 items that were also important, but slightly less so.

Flint told Buffett that he would start working on his top 5 goals right away. Then
Buffett asked, And what about the ones you didn't circle?

Learn what happened next in a few pages...

----

The following is an exercise designed to put you in Mikes shoes to have your
very own conversation with Mr. Buffett.

2
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 5 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

STEP ONE
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT LIST YOUR TOP 25 GOALS

List the top 25 things you want to do in the next few years or even
in your lifetime. Jot down anything that comes to mind as being important to
you that isnt currently a part of your life.

1. 13.

2. 14.

3. 15.

4. 16.

5. 17.

6. 18.

7. 19.

8. 20.

9. 21.

10. 22.

11. 23.

12. 24.

25.

3
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 5 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

STEP TWO
PICK YOUR TOP 5 GOALS

Review each of your 25 goals above and circle the top 5 that are most important
to you. This wont be easy, but its necessary to figure out whats
most important to you. After you pick out your top 5, scan through and see if
there are any of your remaining 20 that should displace one of your top 5.
When you have your list, write them here.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

4
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 5 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

STEP THREE
MAKE YOUR TOP 5 PLAN

Its not enough to say, I want to be healthier or I want to make more money.
Goals must be quantifiable and measurable. You need to be in control of
whether they happen. You cant control whether you actually lose 10 pounds,
but you can control what you eat and how often you exercise, which usually
leads to losing weight.

Define exactly what you want. If you want to write a book, then how many
words a day can you commit to?

If you dont know the rules of the game, then how could you ever expect to win?

List the quantifiable outcomes and the specifics of each goal.

GOAL: SPECIFIC, QUANTIFIABLE OUTCOME:

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

5
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 5 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

When we left off, our pilot Mike Flint had told Buffett that he would
start working on his top 5 goals right away. Then Buffett asked, And what
about the ones you didn't circle?

Flint replied, Well, the top 5 are my primary focus, but the other 20 come in
a close second. They are still important so Ill work on those intermittently as I
see fit. They are not as urgent, but I still plan to give them a dedicated effort.

To which Buffett replied, No. Youve got it wrong, Mike. Everything you didnt
circle just became your Avoid-At-All-Cost list. No matter what, these things get
no attention from you until youve succeeded with your top 5!

The morale of this story is that you cant be a superstar if you focus on
everything. It takes a laser-like focus and dedication to your most important
goals if you want to be successful.

6
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 5 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

STEP FOUR
KNOW YOUR AVOID AT ALL COST LIST AND STICK TO IT!

Everything you didnt circle in Step 2 just became your Avoid-At-All-Costs List.
No matter what, these things get no attention from you until youve succeeded
with your Top 5.

List your remaining twenty goals below. Are you committed to not doing any of
these until your Top 5 are complete?

Hint: If you have things on this list that are still important, then perhaps just
plan to get to them later in the year once youve gotten through your Top 5. This
list doesnt mean youre never going to do them. It just means they wont get
attention until youve done whats most important to you.

My Avoid-At-All-Costs List:

1. 11.

2. 12.

3. 13.

4. 14.

5. 15.

6. 16.

7. 17.

8. 18.

9. 19.

10. 20.

7
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 2 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

STEP FIVE
MARRY YOUR TOP 5 PRIORITIES

You must be sure youre committed to your Top 5 over everything else.

Top 5:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Write out why is it more important than anything in the world:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

8
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE
 2 STEPS TO PRIORITIZE SUCCESS

Clear Priorities Get ResultsWithout Them

Nothing Gets Done
Congratulations! Now you actually know what matters most to you and what doesnt. Youre
ahead of 90% of the world.

Without priorities you are confronted with The Paradox of Choice: The more options you
have, the less likely you are to choose any of them.

Take this seriously. Know what you care most about and avoid everything else like
the plague.

Clear Priorities + Focus = Dreams Come True

Every life can be epic in its own way.

All we have to do is want it badly enough. That part is up to you.

Heres to Living Your Legend!

9
CHANGE THE W
BY DOING WORK YOU VE