Distinguishing Between Urgent and Important

Urgent tasks, often driven by emotions, yield immediate results. This includes replying to urgent emails, texting, gaming, making calls, or indulging in sweets and smoking. These actions are often fueled by emotional impulses.

In contrast, important tasks contribute to our long-term success. Engaging in activities like working out, writing blog posts, generating passive income, building a brand, pursuing artistic endeavors, authoring books, and investing in personal development are all significant activities.

Clearly, prioritizing what truly matters is essential. Yet, many people struggle with this due to the allure of urgent, appealing tasks. It’s vital to understand that many so-called urgent tasks may not be as critical as they seem. If they truly were urgent, they would shift into the "important" category.

You need to determine where that line lies for you.

The Science of Willpower

Recent findings from psychologist Kelly McGonigal have transformed our understanding of willpower. It’s not just a trait possessed by a select few; instead, it resembles muscle strength and diminishes over time. According to McGonigal, the more self-control we exert and the greater the stress we encounter during the day, the more our willpower diminishes. Fortunately, it replenishes after a good night’s sleep.

In essence, we have more “physical” willpower available at the start of the day than we do by evening. Long-term beneficial tasks generally require more self-control, while seemingly urgent, emotionally-driven tasks demand less willpower.

When a task is essential or addictive, it requires minimal willpower to complete. Thus, recognizing that important tasks are harder to tackle than those providing quick satisfaction, and knowing that willpower peaks in the morning, I connected the dots.

To maximize my productivity, I realized I needed to be stricter about how I allocated my time. Important tasks should be prioritized earlier in the day, while ‘urgent’ tasks can be addressed later.

This approach meant that activities like writing, planning book outlines, creating illustrations, and working out needed to be completed in the morning, while responding to emails and indulging in treats could wait until later.

Of course, life is rarely this straightforward, and some urgent tasks are unavoidable. Occasionally, evenings may be the best time for creative pursuits, especially when peace and quiet allow for flow.

Taking breaks and allowing for short-term pleasures while working on significant tasks is perfectly fine, provided that most of these indulgences are reserved for later. It’s far more rewarding to treat yourself after completing important tasks.

By adopting this strategy, I can ensure that what truly matters gets done effectively. This method is still a work in progress for me and requires adjustment, but it serves as a helpful framework for prioritization.

Instead of battling against our natural tendencies, we should learn to work in harmony with them. Use your willpower to your advantage for long-term success.

Do you aspire to be more mentally resilient than others? If you found this helpful, you might appreciate my free illustrated booklet, "The 12 Habits of Mentally Strong People," available for a limited time when you subscribe to my Substack newsletter.