We are, as author Douglas Rushkoff claims, experiencing “present shock” – a condition in which “we live in a continuous, always-on ‘now’” and lose our sense of long-term narrative and direction. Miley Cyrus’ Twerk-gate is given the same weight as important D.C. Our stimulus-producing tech treats all information as equally urgent and pressing. Modern technologies (24-hour news, Twitter, Facebook, text messaging) that constantly bombard us with information have only heightened this deeply engrained mindset. This propensity likely has roots in our evolutionary history our ancestors concentrated more on short-term concerns than long-term strategy, as tending to immediate stimuli (like a charging saber-toothed cat) could mean the difference between life and death. It’s a pretty intuitive distinction, yet most of us frequently fall into the trap of believing that all urgent activities are also important. When we focus on important activities we operate in a responsive mode, which helps us remain calm, rational, and open to new opportunities. Sometimes important tasks are also urgent, but typically they’re not. Important tasks are things that contribute to our long-term mission, values, and goals. These are the to-do’s that shout “Now!” Urgent tasks put us in a reactive mode, one marked by a defensive, negative, hurried, and narrowly-focused mindset. Urgent means that a task requires immediate attention. The Difference Between Urgent and Important
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”īelow we look into the distinction ol’ Ike made between those two very different things, and explore how understanding the “Eisenhower Decision Principle” can help you become the man you want to be. Today we’re going to talk about another – a principle that guided him through his entire, hugely successful career as general and president: We’ve talked before about the many leadership lessons that can be gleaned from the life of Dwight D. Then you, my friend, are probably confusing the urgent with the important.
Do you sometimes feel like you spend all your time managing crises? That your life is basically spent putting out one proverbial fire after another?Īt the end of the day do you feel completely sapped and drained of energy, and yet can’t point to anything you accomplished of real significance?
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