Day 17 - urgent vs. important
This topic is probably in my top ten of things to pass on to those I mentor, whether through work, church, or other organizations. Learning to, first, discern the urgent from the important and, second, make choices based on that delineation, has a disproportionately large impact on our life trajectories. I've learned and observed this truth in a variety of situations, presented here for your observation and future pondering.
School: As an undergraduate, it was easy to get swept up in the swirl of homework assignments, deadlines, classes, and work commitments. There were many times when I would say, as I look back, that I prioritized the hottest fires and loudest sirens over some of the more important goals and opportunities during college. However, I was determined to achieve the larger goal of getting into medical school, which helped me pull back and look at the big picture at different junctures, helping me gain better perspective and periodically re-prioritize to accomplish that dream. Additionally, I had some great people in my life, whether faculty, friends, or family, who reminded me that the relationships I was forming and nurturing were probably the most valuable things I would take from college, which certainly proved true. I'm grateful there were people in my life urging me to consider "the important" along the way.
Life: I see this play out on a daily basis in so many spheres of my homelife, from deciding whether to do the pile of dishes in the sink or play with my little boy, making last minute tweaks to a freelance project or taking time to catch up with my husband, or checking one more thing off my to-do list before I head out the door to meet a friend or being on time. There are so many opportunities every day to think about what is glaringly urgent and what is genuinely important. The key here, I've found, is to realize that every "yes" to one thing is a "no" to something else. Time is a finite resource, funnily enough, and so while sometimes things just can't wait (like dropping off my rent check before the business office closes), sometimes it's not a bad thing to clean my floors when my babe is happily playing on his mat. Recognizing that it isn't really the urgent or the important but trying to choose wisely in the moment can be truly liberating.
Work: The office is probably the sphere where I notice my perspective waning most easily. It's far too common to get caught up in answering emails (obviously an important task in its own way) or doing some kind of busywork - especially if someone is hollering about it - rather than taking a few moments to thing about the return on investment (ROI) from the tasks I'm hoping to accomplish. Job responsibilities and function certainly play a major role in prioritizing tasks and objectives, but it is almost always essential to think about strategy in addition to the mundanities. To put it plainly, I don't want to be "busy," running an eternal hamster wheel without thinking about the short and long term value I'm contributing to my organization. I need to take the time to work on my business as well as in my business. If my processes are outdated and inefficient, I'm not going to be getting nearly as much ROI from my efforts. There are hundreds of applications of prioritizing the important in business and the organizations and people who choose wisely invariably enjoy a greater return in the long run.
I'd love to hear how you have seen this principle in practice in your life. I know that sharing my stories and hearing others' has given me greater perspective on how I can improve in this area (and it always needs improvement!)
This topic is probably in my top ten of things to pass on to those I mentor, whether through work, church, or other organizations. Learning to, first, discern the urgent from the important and, second, make choices based on that delineation, has a disproportionately large impact on our life trajectories. I've learned and observed this truth in a variety of situations, presented here for your observation and future pondering.
School: As an undergraduate, it was easy to get swept up in the swirl of homework assignments, deadlines, classes, and work commitments. There were many times when I would say, as I look back, that I prioritized the hottest fires and loudest sirens over some of the more important goals and opportunities during college. However, I was determined to achieve the larger goal of getting into medical school, which helped me pull back and look at the big picture at different junctures, helping me gain better perspective and periodically re-prioritize to accomplish that dream. Additionally, I had some great people in my life, whether faculty, friends, or family, who reminded me that the relationships I was forming and nurturing were probably the most valuable things I would take from college, which certainly proved true. I'm grateful there were people in my life urging me to consider "the important" along the way.
Life: I see this play out on a daily basis in so many spheres of my homelife, from deciding whether to do the pile of dishes in the sink or play with my little boy, making last minute tweaks to a freelance project or taking time to catch up with my husband, or checking one more thing off my to-do list before I head out the door to meet a friend or being on time. There are so many opportunities every day to think about what is glaringly urgent and what is genuinely important. The key here, I've found, is to realize that every "yes" to one thing is a "no" to something else. Time is a finite resource, funnily enough, and so while sometimes things just can't wait (like dropping off my rent check before the business office closes), sometimes it's not a bad thing to clean my floors when my babe is happily playing on his mat. Recognizing that it isn't really the urgent or the important but trying to choose wisely in the moment can be truly liberating.
Work: The office is probably the sphere where I notice my perspective waning most easily. It's far too common to get caught up in answering emails (obviously an important task in its own way) or doing some kind of busywork - especially if someone is hollering about it - rather than taking a few moments to thing about the return on investment (ROI) from the tasks I'm hoping to accomplish. Job responsibilities and function certainly play a major role in prioritizing tasks and objectives, but it is almost always essential to think about strategy in addition to the mundanities. To put it plainly, I don't want to be "busy," running an eternal hamster wheel without thinking about the short and long term value I'm contributing to my organization. I need to take the time to work on my business as well as in my business. If my processes are outdated and inefficient, I'm not going to be getting nearly as much ROI from my efforts. There are hundreds of applications of prioritizing the important in business and the organizations and people who choose wisely invariably enjoy a greater return in the long run.
I'd love to hear how you have seen this principle in practice in your life. I know that sharing my stories and hearing others' has given me greater perspective on how I can improve in this area (and it always needs improvement!)
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