Urgency
I sometimes find myself in this situation. Good advice. I'll practice this.
I feel we sometimes confuse urgency with importance and constantly run around putting out fires instead of dealing with the important issues.
It's important to find balance in being a procrastinator and having a sense of urgency. Earlier in my career i completed tasks with immediacy. Over time, I've learned to prioritize the urgency of certain tasks with to do lists and keeping organized. This is much less stressful than my previous behaviors.
Gary, That's an interesting approach and I like it. It's important to teach people to fish, not just to fish for them the whole time. This way, they will become self sufficient and capable of taking care of themselves in the future.
Dr. Melissa Read
Agreed. I have always been so proud that I am not a procrastinator--I never realized that the sense of urgency that I feel about absolutely everything could also hinder my productivity! I will definitely focus on prioritizing more!
I was thinking about students & urgency like my clients. I don't put out their fires too quickly even though I want too. I let them try and figure it out themselves first by being patient, and if the student or client ask for help again I'll help.
Rose, I understand where you are coming from when it comes to having a hard time figuring out the true priorities. I might recommend asking yourself what would happen if you failed to complete each task. That kind of question often gives us the clarity we need.
Dr. Melissa Read
I think we create our own urgency at times by procrastinating things with a deadline - doing things in a timely manner gives us more control over our time
Yes, to me everything at times seems "urgent" yet some things are not as urgent as others, so the prioritizing is helpful.
