If one enters “time management course” into Google, requesting results from the UK only, it instantly offers over 19,000 links. That only seems like a lot until one looks to see what is available on “managing priorities,” from anywhere, revealing a choice of 58,500 links. Ask about, “budget priorities,” however, and you will find that scouring the world takes almost a half-second, but does give 368,000 results. I think we can take it that having to sort out tasks and choices is a universal challenge.

When it comes to deciding whether to tidy up the kitchen or mow the lawn first, getting it wrong is not going to change the world. Choosing between blowing £50 on shoes or theatre tickets is unlikely to have everlasting effects in either case.

Sorting out priorities is not rocket science. It just requires the making of two lists. One shows the options – tasks, resource allocations, whatever – in the order of their importance. Simply, all this means is deciding the relative impact of doing versus not doing each thing. The other list shows the urgency of each option. In essence, it gives their deadlines. Now, just balance one against the other. If everything has the same deadline, do things in order of importance; if everything is equally vital, start with whatever has the nearest deadline.

If only juggling priorities really were that simple. No wonder the government is forever under fire for its order of priorities. Here is the point: all those politicians volunteered for the job, mostly after having already tried it. Sorting out the important and urgent, solving problems, getting things done properly – this is what we pay them to do.

As 2016 begins, the UK faces the usual mass of challenges. In no particular order, the government has to allocate our hard-earned money between dealing with the economy, the NHS, terrorist threats and a gazillion other things. Many of the demands for cash come from areas of extreme national importance. Many of the challenges need to be addressed sooner, rather than later. There has never been a Chancellor of the Exchequer with the luxury of ‘spare’ money to throw around, so deciding where to spend is not a trivial matter.

Our political leaders have decided that this is the right time to spend our money on grants to bus companies, helping them to upgrade vehicles that already meet every legal requirement. Yes, really.

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