Urgent Vs Important

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

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Urgent Vs Important

by Self Creation on Sep 24, 2009

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Urgent Vs Important — Presentation Transcript