Don't Let 'Urgent' Hijack The 'Important'

A little thought on these words and you'll see that they go far deeper than what they seem at first instance.

At first go, I find people reacting with...... but it's urgent stuff, it can't be pushed, it's got timelines, needed now. True..... it is urgent right, and by definition cannot be put away.

                                         

It's just that we don't realize how much of that urgent takes away all our time and energy. And that fourth quadrant, the one in red, just stays silent witness.

Think how much of the urgent are actually fires.....how many just life of detail and busyness, but persistent got to dos ?

Many of us are so caught up in that detail,  that we like to think we have no time or energy for other stuff, to think or do what might be important to us. So much so, most often we don't even know what could potentially constitute that important box.

And the irony of it..... very few of the most important things in life are urgent, and that's why it's so easy to either not pay attention, and even if we do, to procrastinate on them, and maybe eventually to even shelve them.

What's important could even be the simplest of things. To visit that museum in your city, That occasional alone walk, To listen to your favorite music, A cup of coffee with a friend. Or the bigger things you've always wanted to do..... To learn how to swim.  To visit Bodhgaya. An effort to write that book you always wanted to.

One factor that tends to this issue is that typically what's important to you may not necessarily be important to others, is likely not, not even to those close to you..... by virtue of  which it more easily gets relegated to second place, second place behind so many firsts....... behind everything else, and thus at times never gets its turn.

Recently I was on a post lunch walk with a (young) friend from office. We chanced across a nursery on the road with these really pretty potted flowering plants in full bloom, and we couldn't help but stand and gaze. I ended up buying some, and she was like ' my mom loves gardening too, but she just doesn't do it, else I'd buy'. I was like..'why doesn't she do it? Space? ' And she's like..'No, my dad's just not encouraging of it'.  Doesn't that sound familiar? A lot of us give up things that matter to us because of this exact same reason. After a point we don't even grudge it, we're happy giving it up, and worse, at times we're justifying it in the guise of sacrifice made for others in the family.

Why do we need that encouragement? Why is our wanting it not a good enough reason?

Then years into life and we see around us only things we need (urgent) to be doing....and we've done well, we've kept our loved ones happy...atleast we think we have. Anyways, the wants have just dropped off along the way, as they weren't urgent, they didn't matter, and they remain as distant memories of what once could have been.

Theoretically we're all aware that it's those important things which define you as an individual.  Let's wake up to them. Find them, and make time for them. You matter you know !!

My favorite solution? Awareness and Checklists. :)