It is said that in his commencement address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs revealed that he looks in the mirror every morning and asks himself,

If I die tonight, will I be glad that I did what I am planning to do today?

If the answer is ‘No’ I change the plan.

Where I am in my life today has been determined by a split-second decision, many split-second decisions, my split-second decisions. Life is full of choices and choices need decisions. Not making a choice is making a choice.

Do I eat that dessert or not? Should I ask for the sale one more time or let it go? Will I respond or react? Confront or ignore? Could I live with this or not?

I am what I am because I chose to be. I am where I am because I took those paths. I look like I do because of what I do. My relationships are how they are because of actions (or inactions) I took.

It is all my “fault” - be it negative or positive. It is all my doing. It is all my responsibility. It is the outcome I chose. Sometimes the outcome is positive. Sometimes the outcome is negative. I can learn from them both.

When setting priorities, ask yourself:

Is this important? To whom?

Is this urgent? To whom?

Is this necessary at all?

Get the important stuff out of the way - you want to look back on your day and say you accomplished something. Clear your morning schedule. Devote the morning to your important tasks.

Once afternoon hits, things are likely to pick up, interruptions are more likely to happen, your energy will begin to dwindle and your important tasks will slide off your radar.

Look at your to-do list: Pick the three that really, really matter. Which ones will make you the most money, get you the most recognition, and pay off for you the most in the long run? Those are the ones to do with your morning energy.

Focus on one of your three important tasks for today, really focus. Eliminate all distractions, including the Internet and email and phones and clutter on your desk. Don’t allow anything to interrupt. When task number one is done, put all of your focus on task number two. Don’t try to multi-task. Multi-tasking will just stress you out and make you less productive. Keep your focus on one task at a time and move through them as quickly as possible.

Ask yourself,

“Am I doing things that are the most important to me?

Am I spending time with those I love?

Am I making time for both work and play?”

If your head is spinning with all the stuff you’ve got to get done and the interruptions keep coming, you need some alone time. If the hours of your day keep getting stolen by meeting requests and drive-by interruptions, box out an hour or so every few days specifically to regroup and get organized.

Literally enter the meeting with yourself on your calendar, and if you need to get away from your desk, book a conference room as well. Take your project list, to-do list, and calendar with you to the room and spend that time deciding what, when, and how you’re going to tackle all the stuff in your work life, as if you’re a boss meeting with your assistant.