To determine which tasks should be prioritized for completion today, assuming an 8-hour workday, we need to select tasks that maximize the use of available time without exceeding the 8 hours. Here are the steps we can follow to decide:
1. List the tasks with their respective times:
- Pay consulting fees: 2 hours
- Create project budget: 3 hours
- Write technical report: 5 hours
- Research project ideas: 2 hours
- Create weekly schedule: 2 hours
- Submit travel expense reports: 2 hours
- Email investors: 1 hour
- Prepare invoices: 3 hours
2. Sort the tasks by the time required in ascending order:
- Email investors: 1 hour
- Pay consulting fees: 2 hours
- Research project ideas: 2 hours
- Create weekly schedule: 2 hours
- Submit travel expense reports: 2 hours
- Create project budget: 3 hours
- Prepare invoices: 3 hours
- Write technical report: 5 hours
3. Start selecting tasks from the top of the list until adding another task would exceed the available 8 hours:
- Start with "Email investors" (1 hour). The total is now 1 hour.
- Next, add "Pay consulting fees" (2 hours). The total is now 3 hours.
- Next, add "Research project ideas" (2 hours). The total is now 5 hours.
- Next, add "Create weekly schedule" (2 hours). The total is now 7 hours.
4. At this point, adding another task would exceed the 8-hour limit because the shortest remaining task is 2 hours long.
Therefore, the tasks you should complete today, while making the most efficient use of the 8 hours available, are:
- Email investors (1 hour)
- Pay consulting fees (2 hours)
- Research project ideas (2 hours)
- Create weekly schedule (2 hours)
These tasks sum up to a total of 7 hours, efficiently utilizing the workday.
