Podcast Summary: Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast

Episode: P is for Priorities: Release Yourself From The Tyranny of the Urgent
Host: Brooke Richie-Babbage
Date: August 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brooke Richie-Babbage dives into the crucial distinction between activity and priority for nonprofit leaders, especially as they approach the end of the year. She explains how intentional design and strategic priority-setting—rather than perpetually responding to urgency—move an organization toward meaningful progress. Brooke delivers a practical framework (“the 3x3 reset”) designed to help listeners reclaim their weeks from the tyranny of the urgent and focus on high-impact outcomes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Problem: Mistaking Activity for Progress

• Brooke paints a familiar picture: Weeks packed with meetings and endless to-do lists, but accompanied by an unsettling feeling of not having truly advanced the organization’s mission.

  • “Ever finish a week where your calendar was jam packed and your to do list was overfull and yet you get to the end of the week and you’re thinking why doesn’t it feel like I actually moved the needle?” (01:02)

• The root issue: Confusing urgent activities (“noise”) for true priorities.

  • Brooke breaks down how being governed by what’s urgent leads to scattered energy and, ultimately, motion without momentum.

Defining Priorities

• Brooke clarifies what a priority is:
  • “A priority isn't just another item on your list, it's a chosen outcome. The result that, if achieved, makes other things easier or even unnecessary.” (01:23)
• Consequences of unclear priorities:
  • Inbox, other people’s emergencies, “quick yeses,” and scattershot energy dominate decision-making.
  • The tyranny of the urgent prevails.

The Central Question

• Brooke reframes the typical productivity mantra:
  • Instead of: “What do I have to get done this week?”
  • Ask: “What outcomes matter the most this week and what will I say no to in order to protect them?” (03:00)

The 3x3 Reset: A Weekly Ritual

• The actionable framework:

  • Set a 10-minute timer and run the 3x3 reset every week (ideally, Sundays).

  • Three components:

    1. Top 3 Outcomes: Focus on results, not just a collection of tasks.
    2. Three No’s: Identify three things you will decline or defer to protect your outcomes.
    3. Three Rituals: Ritualize your commitment through scheduled focus blocks, Friday reviews, pipeline hours, etc.

  • “You build a habit or some muscle around setting priorities that actually guide your decisions throughout the week.” (04:14)

Tools & Next Steps

• Brooke offers two resources:
  • Weekly Panic Filter worksheet: Available via the accompanying email and her website.
  • Posted Planning Toolkit: For turning weekly clarity into a quarterly planning rhythm.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impact of intentional planning:
  “How your year ends is determined by what you do now in August, not in November. My work is rooted in the idea that intentional design, not more hustle, is what determines how far your mission can scale.” — Brooke (00:17)
• On the priority-action trap:
  “You feel a lot of motion, but you don’t feel a lot of momentum. You’re doing a lot of stuff, but you’re not achieving a lot. You’re running fast, but it can feel like you’re running in place.” — Brooke (01:55)
• On the power of saying no:
  “What will I say no to in order to protect them?” — Brooke (03:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:17 – On intentional design and setting up for a strong year-end
• 01:02 – The difference between activity and priority
• 01:23 – What makes something a true priority
• 01:55 – Effects of living under urgency rather than priorities
• 03:00 – Reframing to focus on outcome and boundaries
• 03:30 – “3x3 reset” ritual explained
• 04:14 – Building priority-setting as a habit
• 05:10 – Mention of tools and next step resources

Takeaways

• Regularly scheduled reflection on real priorities vs. urgent noise can differentiate true progress from simply staying busy.
• Implementing the 3x3 reset is a practical, repeatable methodology for leaders to protect their time, focus, and energy.
• Tools like the Weekly Panic Filter and Posted Planning Toolkit help solidify these habits at weekly and quarterly levels.

This episode is essential listening for nonprofit founders and leaders eager to reclaim their calendar, refocus their efforts around impactful outcomes, and step off the hamster wheel of endless urgency.