Urgent vs Important

Dear Pastors

Urgent vs Important

You are back…….back at work that is. So am I. The 2021 planning schedules are on the desk, the to-do lists are out, planning meetings are all go, the requests on our time are mounting almost by the minute and yes the stress has returned (even though we vowed and declared that 2021 was going to be a stress free year). And that is the way it rolls for most of us. Yep, it's groundhog day!

Many years ago I came across this diagram and it immediately grabbed my attention. I’m sure you have seen it. Ever since first seeing it I have adopted it as a key time management tool. Most every week I have two ‘to do’ lists either in my head but mostly written in my day book. My goal is to spend a good chunk of each week working across the two IMPORTANT boxes as stated below. Another way I think about this matrix is distinguishing between the routine stuff and the strategic stuff that makes up my work each week/month. Both need my attention but if I don’t give time to the important or strategic work then I will face problems later on that could have been avoided. Besides, if you as the leader want to move your organisation forward you actually have no option. No organisation moves forward by you spending all your time on the ‘not important’ work in your in-tray or inbox.

So here it is again followed by a short explanation as to it’s origins. Hope you find it useful.

In a 1954 speech to the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was quoting Dr J. Roscoe Miller, president of Northwestern University, said: "I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." This "Eisenhower Principle" is said to be how he organised his workload and priorities.

• Important activities have an outcome that leads to us achieving our goals, whether these are professional or personal.
• Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are usually associated with achieving someone else's goals. They are often the ones we concentrate on and they demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.

When we know which activities are important and which are urgent, we can overcome the natural tendency to focus on unimportant urgent activities, so that we can clear enough time to do what's essential for our success. This is the way we move from "firefighting" into a position where we can grow our organisations and grow as individuals.

Blessings
Alan

P.S. I have just watched the Inaugration of 46th President of USA, Joe Biden. I found it quite an emotional experience to be honest. President Biden’s speech was Presidential, Powerful and Pastoral…….stunning! There is hope, tremendous hope.

MARK THIS DATE. Announcing a half day gathering for Pastors called ‘Revitalise’. Guest speakers joining me are Don Barry-Senior pastor at Gateway Church in Hamilton and Dr Peter Lineham- Professor Emeritus, Massey University. Thursday 18th March, 9.00am-1.00pm in Hamilton. Details will be out soon.