Urgent
vs.
Important

Use Time Effectively,
Not Just Efficiently
Not Just Efficiently

Time stressors are some of the
Time stressors are some of the
most pervasive sources of
pressure and stress in the
workplace, and they happen
as a result of having too much
to do in too little time.
t d i t littl ti

With this kind of
pressure all too
pressure all too
common, effective
time management
time management
is an absolute
necessity.
it

You probably
use a day‐
d
planner and to‐
p
do list to manage
your time.
your time

These tools are certainly helpful,
but they don't allow you to drill
down to one of the most essential
down to one of the most essential
elements of good time

Management

Management:
distinguishing between what is
di i i hi b h i
important and what is urgent.
p g

Great time management means
being effective as well as efficient.

Managing time effectively, and
achieving the things that you want
achieving the things that you want
to achieve, means spending your
time on things that are important
a d ot just u ge t
and not just urgent.

To do this, and to minimize the
stress of having too many tight
t fh i t ti ht
deadlines.

We need to distinguish clearly
between what is urgent and what is
b t h ti t d h ti
important.

Important activities have an
outcome that leads to the
t th t l d t th
achievement of your goals.

Urgent activities demand immediate
Urgent activities demand immediate
attention, and are usually associated
with the achievement of someone else's
f
goals, or with an uncomfortable problem
or situation that needs to be resolved.

Urgent activities are often the ones
g
we concentrate on.

These are the
"squeaky wheels that get the grease."

They demand attention because the
consequences of not dealing with
f t d li ith
them are immediate.

The Urgent vs. Important
Matrix is a useful tool for thinking
M ti i f l t l f thi ki
about this.

How to Use the Tool
Ho to Use the Tool

The Urgent/Important Matrix
Th U /I M i
is a powerful way of thinking
p y g
about priorities.

Using it helps you overcome the
natural tendency to focus on urgent
natural tendency to focus on urgent
activities, so that you can keep
enough time clear to focus on
what s really important.
what's really important.

This is the way you move from
"firefighting", into a position where
firefighting into a position where
you can grow your business and
your career.

How to use this matrix
to prioritize your activities:

Firstly, list all of the activities and
y,
projects you feel you have to do.

Try to include everything that takes
up your time at work, however
ti t k h
unimportant.

If you manage your time using an
Action Program, you'll already have
A ti P 'll l d h
done this.

Next, assign importance to each of
N t i i t t h f
the activities

You can do this on, say, a scale of 1
, y,
to 5: Remember, this is a measure of
how important the activity is in
how important the activity is in
helping you meet your goals and
objectives.

Try not to worry about urgency
at this stage, as this helps get to
at this stage as this helps get to
the true importance.
p

Once you have assigned
importance to each activity,
importance to each activity
evaluate the urgency of each
g y
activity.

As you do this, you can plot the
y ,y p
listed items on the matrix
according to the assigned
di t th i d
importance and urgency.
p g y

Now study the matrix using the
Now study the matrix using the
guidelines below, and schedule your
work according to your priorities.
k di t i iti

Urgent and Not Important
U t dN tI t t
(
("Interruptions"):
p )

Urgent and Not Important
Urgent and Not Important
("Interruptions"):
Urgent but not important activities can
be a constant source of interruption.
b t t fi t ti

Urgent and Not Important
Urgent and Not Important
("Interruptions"):
Ask yourself whether these tasks can be
rescheduled, or whether someone else could
rescheduled, or whether someone else could
do them.

Urgent and Not Important
Urgent and Not Important
("Interruptions"):
Sometimes it's appropriate to say "No" to
people, or encourage them to solve the
people, or encourage them to solve the
problem themselves.

Urgent and Not Important
Urgent and Not Important
("Interruptions"):
Alternatively, try allocating time when you are
Alternatively try allocating time when you are
available, so that people only interrupt you at
certain times (a good way of doing this is to
certain times (a good way of doing this is to
schedule a regular meeting so that all issues can be
dealt with at the same time).

Urgent and Not Important
Urgent and Not Important
("Interruptions"):
By doing this, the flow of work on your
important activities will be less disrupted.

Not Urgent, but Important
Not Urgent, but Important
("Important Goals"):
These are the activities that you can plan
ahead for to achieve your goals and complete
ahead for to achieve your goals and complete
your work.

Not Urgent, but Important
Not Urgent, but Important
("Important Goals"):
Make sure that you have plenty of time to
achieve these, so that they do not become
achieve these, so that they do not become
urgent.

Not Urgent, but Important
Not Urgent, but Important
("Important Goals"):
Remember to leave enough time in your
schedule to deal with unforeseen problems.

Not Urgent, but Important
Not Urgent, but Important
("Important Goals"):
This will maximize your chances of keeping on
schedule, and help you avoid the stress of
schedule, and help you avoid the stress of
work becoming more urgent that necessary.

Not Urgent and Not Important
Not Urgent and Not Important
("Distractions"):
These activities are just a distraction, and
should be avoided if possible.

Not Urgent and Not Important
Not Urgent and Not Important
("Distractions"):
Some can simply be ignored. Others are
activities that other people want you to do,
but they do not contribute to your own
desired outcomes.

Not Urgent and Not Important
Not Urgent and Not Important
("Distractions"):
Again, say "No" politely and firmly where this
is appropriate.

If people see you are clear about your
objectives and boundaries, they will often not
ask you to do "not important" activities in
future.

Thank you,
Thank you
amirsaiftaz@gmail.com
i if @ il
www.amirsaiftaz.blogspot.com