Almost everyone I coach struggles with consistently focusing their time, attention, and energy on their most important priorities.

It seems to be the bane of a real estate manager’s existence—the urgent screams so loud the most important proactive tasks get pushed to the bottom of the task list or remain undone.

Mark Johnson, CEO of JPAR Brokerage Texas, recently shared a quick exercise he does with his direct reports to help them stay focused.

Write down these four questions:

What should I stop doing?

What should I start doing?

What should I be doing less of?

What should I be doing more of?

For each question, jot down at least one item. For the stop/doing less questions, try to find more than one item.

If possible, do this exercise with your supervisor and/or the person coaching you. There should be a consensus on where you’re placing focus.

The secret of being a high-performing manger is doing your best work on your team’s highest priorities.

Sounds simple, but it’s only done by the select few who make it to the top of their profession.