Here’s a familiar 2×2, the Important & Urgent quadrants:
Very early in my career, I was taught to beware the “Not Important & Urgent” quadrant.
I’m used to working in the “Important & Urgent” quadrant most of the time, getting the important stuff done just on time. This is the quadrant of productivity.
A friend pointed out: The “Important & Urgent” quadrant is hard on our brains. In urgency lies stress. The more time we spend there, the more we need rest. Rest is in “Not Important & Not Urgent” quadrant, like video games.
In “Important & Not Urgent,” we do the things that matter, without stressing ourselves out. Here, we write. We create. We grow and improve the world. This is the quadrant of impact.
“Important & Urgent” is where our culture of productivity expects us to be. It is where I spend most of my working days. It’s where I get things done. And it stresses me out.
In “Important & Not Urgent,” I don’t know how to focus. I think, I’ll add deadlines, that’ll get me to do the work. That moves me to “Important & Urgent.” Things get done, but not as well as if I did them while relaxed and thoughtful.
My ambition is to become someone who can do important things without urgency. Then I can have more impact on the world and be happier.