Jacob Westman

Freelance Web Design & Development

The Urgent vs. Important Dilemma: Key Insights for Entrepreneurs

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Hey, rising stars! It’s your daily dose of motivation right here!

In Stephen Coveyโ€™s famous book, โ€œThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective Peopleโ€ he talks about the difference between Important and Urgent matters. How we go about differentiating between these types of activities is crucial to how effective we actually are

Letโ€™s break it down, Jacob Westman style.

First off, let’s get real. Weโ€™ve all been victims of that ‘urgent’ email or the unexpected phone ring, right? Ring ring… “Hey, it’s the 16th telemarketer today!” But guess what? Most times, that ‘urgent’ tag we slap on stuff? Pure distraction. Like, how many of you are guilty of ignoring a gym session for that ‘urgent’ email ping? Or neglecting a follow-up with a client who already trusts you?

My big aha moment? Realizing that not everything screaming for attention is worth the time. Urgency, my friends, is a demanding beast, always in your face. We all know that one person, running on the hamster wheel, putting out fires left and right. But are they scoring goals? Nah. They’re just busy being busy.

Now, I’m not saying all urgent matters are bogus. Of course, if your house is on fire, you ainโ€™t going to chill and watch Netflix. But hereโ€™s the deal: Don’t get so lost in the urgent maze that you forget what’s genuinely key to your goals.

Whatโ€™s crucial is often silent. It doesnโ€™t nag or pester, but patiently waits for you to realize its worth. Your health, personal growth, and meaningful connectionsโ€”all golden, all patient. Ever since I got this, there ainโ€™t a gym session Iโ€™m missing!

Pro tip? If you ignore the big-picture tasks now, theyโ€™ll morph into screaming monsters later. Address the important things before they get all dramatic and urgent on you.

Hereโ€™s the playbook:

  1. Separate the Noise from the Gold: What’s important? What’s just making noise? Know the difference.
  2. Double Down on the Real MVPs: Those crucial, non-urgent tasks? Give them prime time.
  3. Own Your Priorities: Recognize their importance and give them the urgency they deserve.

For all you hustlers building empires, hereโ€™s a gem: offload the ‘urgent’ chaos. Get an assistant or a system in place. Why? When you sideline the distractions and zero in on what truly matters, you skyrocket in effectiveness. And those crisis-mode days? They became a thing of the past.

Bottom line? Decide. Delegate. Dominate. Know the game, play it smart, and as always, crush it! ๐Ÿš€