Do You Have More Than 3 Priorities? Because it could mean you have none

Keturah Charlesworth Author

So, what's the key to prioritising your priorities?

The Realisation That Having Too Many Priorities Means Nothing Is a Priority

Do you feel like you have a hundred top priorities?

Jim Collins (author and business consultant) said: “If you have more than three priorities, you have none.”

I remember the first time I heard this quote. I was drowning in a sea of professional and personal demands, all competing for my time and headspace when a colleague shared Jim's insight with me. My first thought was, "Only three priorities? Really?" But to avoid pulling any more of my hair out, I decided to put it to the test.

So, on my lunch break, I grabbed a sheet of paper, drew two lines across the page, and confidently wrote down my top three priorities. Simple, right?

Not quite.

Because then, I started listing priorities within my priorities. Argh! Definitely not what I was aiming for.

But here’s what it did help me do: I narrowed my focus to the three most important actions I could take in each priority area. And once I had those, the chaos started to clear. 

When Everything Feels Like a Priority…

Big changes—whether they’re audit preparations, system upgrades, big projects, leadership shifts, or culture overhauls—can make everything feel like a top priority. And listing tasks as low, medium, or high doesn’t always help (especially when you end up with 14 HIGHs!).

*If you often get stuck on how to get beyond the Low/Medium/High method, check out my blog post on The Art of Prioritisation 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by change, here’s how to break it down:

Step 1: Process & Compliance Mapping

• Gather key stakeholders—including those who’ll be responsible for carrying the change forward.
• Walk through the process end to end:
  • What will this change look like in practice?
  • What skills, tools, or resources are needed?
  • Is there legislation or guiding documents that influence the process?
  • Who’s responsible for each step?
  • Are there timeframes or deadlines?

Step 2: Get Your Resources in Place

• Create or update any tools, forms, registers, or logs needed to support the process.

Step 3: Build Clear Guidance Documents

• Include the why behind the change.
• Make sure your guidance aligns with your process map so it’s easy to follow, replicate, and share.

Step 4: Communicate & Train

• Share the process, resources, and expectations with everyone involved.
• Provide training or information sessions if needed.

Step 5: Implement & Refine

• Roll out the change and create open communication channels for feedback.
• Keep reviewing, refining, and adjusting to ensure it’s working as intended.
• Set up regular check-ins to track progress and address any gaps.

The key? Focus on what moves the needle, not just what feels urgent.

What Next?

Feeling stuck in a whirlwind of competing priorities? Let’s untangle them together. Subscribe to the Spilling the Quali-tea newsletter for practical strategies on NDIS compliance, internal audits, and quality management—delivered straight to your inbox.

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Categories: : Change Management, Continuous improvement, Planning