Its just been one of those daysI cant seem to get anything done! Ive got way too many things on my To-Do List. Oh the list started out innocently enough as a single handwritten column on one sheet of lined paper; but now its grown to a three-column table in a spreadsheet software program! I get no satisfaction from checking off each item as I finish it. For each task I complete, at least two more are added. I began my work day at 6:30 AM with grandiose plans of completing a special project before Noon. Now its 16 hours later (10:30 PM) and I still have not finished the project. My anxiety and frustration are mounting. Tomorrows list has already been written and it does not include the things left undone from todays list! I dont know if Im going to make it through the week with all of the demands upon my time and energy. I need helpquickly!
A Juggling Act
I wrote the above entry in my journal several days ago. What a day that was! How about youbeen there lately?
Life can be such a juggling act. Like professional jugglers, we try to keep 5 or 6 balls moving through the air at the same time. But unlike professional jugglers, we rarely succeed.
Everyone is so busy these days. Work is performed at a frantic pace and people are in such a hurry. There is an air of impatience and intolerancea lot of frenetic darting to and fro that is almost out of control. Its very difficult to keep your priorities in line when life is so fast paced. But the negative consequences of so much activitystress, damaged or broken relationships, poor health---can wreak more havoc than what we think we will gain.
The Urgent
I tried for years to use a paper-based time management system with columns similar to this: Must DoNeed to Do...Like to Do. Im sure youve used something like this (maybe even now). The problem I encountered was that I never seemed to get around to doing much in the Like to Do column, which was very discouraging. The Must Do and Need to Do items consumed all of my time.
So I switched to a simpler paper-based system with the following columns, Urgent and Important. Now, I was sure to spend my time wisely. Unfortunately, I found out that the urgent things monopolized my time and pushed the important things to the back-burner.
Here are three examples of The Urgent:
- Pressing or burning imperatives that must be completed immediately.
- Critical or vital tasks that someone else insists be performed without delay.
- Unrelenting and persistent routine demands on your time.
The Important
The Urgent often masquerades as The Important. However, not everything we do is important. To identify whats important to you requires that you answer three questions:
- Will the activity I am about to participate in make a significant and lasting positive impact on others?
- Is what I am about to do an unselfish act that will bring happiness or joy to others?
- Do my actions and activities promote balance in my life or are they all-consuming?
The Bottom Line
Identifying The Important requires focusa concentration of energy, effort, and thought. The Important is where you should spend most of your time. Now, before you send me screaming emails, I dont mean that you shouldnt address The Urgent. Instead, consider the following:
Focus on The Important!
Priority is the key to managing The Urgent and focusing on The Important. Before you leap to complete a task, take a few moments to think about its true priority. Does it need to be done right at this moment, or is there something else on your list that should come first?
While others may demand that everything on your To-Do List must be done immediately, you and only you can really determine what should be done first, second, third, etc. (Its not possible to do everything at once; priority must be given to each item).
Today, I've taken a dose of my own medicine and committed to focusing on The Important. So far, I've accomplished at least one thing that will have a significant and positive impact on othersfinishing this article.
Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed.
To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/
Richard Dawkins
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