Not Important and Not Urgent
Well, I’m baaack from the States. And I’m fighting with my ever-present urge to blow off all things important and focus on not important things.
While in the states I actually read an article from Oprah’s magazine, “O”, (previously I was an “O” magazine virgin). The article was about how manage your time effectively. Basically the idea was that you write down every single thing that you think you need to do and then you categorize each item by the following:
- Important and Urgent
- Important but Not Urgent
- Not Important and Urgent
- Not Important and Not Urgent
Apparently, from what the article said and from personal experience, most of us do those things that end up categorized as Important and Urgent as well as those things we would categorize as Not Important and Urgent.
So the lesson is to make your list and then throw out anything that you would categorize as Not Important, whether Urgent or Not Urgent.
Now this sounds all good and fine. But there’s a problem. And that problem is that I seem to be addicted to Not Important and Urgent. I should marry Not Important and Urgent. I get all hot and bothered by Not Important and Urgent.
I also have a strong affinity for Not Important and Not Urgent.
So I’m thinking I might need to start a support group. Anybody wanna join me in fighting my addiction to all things Not Important? We could meet and have coffee and spend half the meeting discussing local chisme (gossip) and finally get around to talking about the Not Important things we should NOT DO right about when it’s time to rush off to our next Not Important activity.
Come on, step right up!
OK, if you want to read the original article see here: Urgent! Urgent! (Or Is It?)
Well, I may not get anywhere with this Not Important thing, but at least I’m no longer an “O” magazine virgin. (I’ve still never seen a whole episode of her show though.)
December 6th, 2008 21:07
I think it’s a great idea! I started with the question “Should I start categorising the importance and urgency of things in my life?” and decided it was neither important nor urgent….
December 6th, 2008 23:00
Thanks a lot Gary! I guess you don’t wanna be in my Not Important Addicts club.
December 7th, 2008 10:13
We are in Mexico. Is anything urgent?
December 7th, 2008 12:39
I really hate prioritizing and lists like this because it takes me back to my old stress filled days as a manager. I never had enough time to do everything and felt stressed and like I wasn’t doing anything very well.
I think for most people in that boat what is required is a wholesale reworking of their life, reprioritizing how work, family, and all the rest fit it and then making deliberate changes to make it work. That’s what it took for me, and I’m glad I did the work and made the changes. It’s the only life I have, after all!
But I’m with you. Hooray for Not Important!
December 9th, 2008 19:40
We could meet and discuss why we are even at a coffee house having an unimportant meeting.
December 10th, 2008 17:26
Kim,
I would love to join your support group. It is on my list categorized in some priority but I lost the list.
Kim,
Blowing off all things important and focusing on not important things has its merits.
PS Oprah is 200lbs now . Is this important ?
December 11th, 2008 12:49
Not important and Not Urgent is two-timing you with me.