Are You Living an Urgent Life or an Important Life?

Sometimes when we are procrastinating on harder, more important activities, such as preparing for an interview, we will waste our time with simpler, less important activities, such as answering email.34 It happens to all of us. When we have a busy week at work, with important deadlines, we find ourselves with an inbox at zero. When we feel busy or

whirlwind is urgent and it acts on you and everyone working for you every minute of every day. The goals you’ve set for moving forward are important, but when urgency and importance clash, urgency will win every time.

As Stephen Covey, who was recognized as one of Time magazine’s 25 most influential Americans, puts it, “the noise of urgency creates the illusion of importance.”2 I think you will find daily emergencies will cease to exist when you make the choice to stop responding to them. Letting yourself be blown by the wind of the seemingly urgent is simply un

So yes, spend some time—real, uninterrupted time—thinking about what’s important to you, what your priorities are. Then, work toward that and forsake all the others. It’s not enough to wish and hope. One must act—and act right.