Years ago, I read a short book published in 1967 by Charles Hummel called Tyranny of the Urgent. A man ahead of his time, Hummel describes the tension between two contestants battling for our attention: the urgent and the important.
He argues that the urgent things—deadlines at the office, the demands of other people, and even our own “inner compulsions”—typically trump those things which are most important—regular dates with our spouse, time with our kids, personal solitude, exercise, or meditation (just to name a few).
With incredible depth of insight, he notes that important things are polite; they do not clamor for our attention. They wait patiently for us to act. The urgent, on the other hand, boldly cry out impatiently for our time.
In the long run there is a price to pay for the neglect of the important stuff. Like a volcano, there comes a day when the neglected areas of our life explode and wreak havoc. Ironically, we wonder how we missed the warning signs.
One temptation in life is to say, “Well, I just didn’t have enough time to do everything.” But, most frequently, this lack of time is merely a problem of setting appropriate priorities. As Lao Tzu said, “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to’.”
Today, deciphering the difference between the important and the urgent is even more difficult. David Goodman, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine sums it up well, “We are being flooded with so much information, we can’t selectively filter out quickly which is important and which is not important.”
For me, becoming minimalist has always been about more than removing physical belongings. It is also the intentional promotion of the things I most value. It is about deciding what is most important in my life and removing the things that distract me from it. It is about removing the urgent for the sake of the important.
Amber says
Wow…how wonderfully refreshing to read. Thanks for giving me permission to elevate what’s important. Sometimes that is all it takes…
Crunchycon says
I train in the workplace, and from time to time, I’ve had the opportunity to use the four-quadrant Urgent/Important matrix as a tool for prioritization (used by Eisenhower and made famous by Covey). When I asked participants to map a typical day, everything, and I mean everything, fell into the Urgent side of the diagram. I loved the idea of giving your task list some time and space so that the Important things that are “waiting politely” have an opportunity to come forward.
Vicki Cook says
Yes, I find the urgent/important matrix extremely helpful in determining what to focus on. Otherwise your day/life can get sucked up by urgent/not important tasks that don’t get you any closer to your goals.
BrownVagabonder says
Wow this is such a great post! The important things are quiet – they don’t cry out for attention like the urgent things do. That’s so interesting and true. Exercise and meditation being two that most people tend to push aside when life gets busy – even though those are the two that are the most important for health, and mental sanity.
Thank you for the beautiful words.
BrownVagabonder says
“It is about removing the urgent for the sake of the important.”
Love this line. I should tattoo this on my forearm. Along, with Be Present. :)
Amber says
Yes! There is a co-worker of mine that always talks about not moving with the same sense of urgency as everyone else. I envy him most days. :-)
Kariane says
Indeed! Simplification is a process of simplifying our lives, not just our stuff.
That Lao Tzu quote says it perfectly. That tidbit of wisdom, that saying I don’t have time is saying I don’t want to, will sit with me for a long time.
Laurie says
Bravo! This so describes my workplace, and I also see that I give into the urgent in my daily life. Great post, Joshua.
Dan Garner says
:) Wonderful. If we take this deeper, we will hit the marrow of life – life is choice and every choice matters – deeply. The culmination of one’s choices over a lifetime make a huge difference. What will your life represent?
Dan
Judy says
I love that picture, Joshua. I’m always drawn to water…especially waves. Your post is right on! Hug the kids—pet the puppies—and whistle to the birdies! Care and love. —The bills will always be there, but none of US are promised tomorrow. God bless.
joanna says
I heard recently that when you don’t have the time then what you’re really saying is that its not a priority. I like that. Its true.
Juho Vepsäläinen says
That’s a very valid point. Incidentally Chuck Blakeman uses the same idea for discussing business maturity. It’s easy to end up doing all those urgent things while forgetting all about important. Focusing on those important ones might make some of the urgency disappear.
Prioritization is of essence. You’ll have to learn to say no. It’s so easy to lose the big picture and focus on immediate gains. Perhaps this is something driven by culture.
Meryl @ Simple Family Home says
Thanks for this food for thought, very timely for me today. I know my focus for tomorrow will be on what’s important – and pushing those distractions away.