Tyrrany of the Urgent
Charles E. Hummel
When we stop to evaluate, we realize that our dilemma goes deeper than shortage of time; it is basically the problem of priorities. Hard work does not hurt us. We all know what it is to go full speed for long hours, totally involved in an important task. The resulting weariness is matched by a sense of achievement and joy. Not hard work, but doubt and misgiving produce anxiety as we review a month or year and become oppressed by the pile of unfinished tasks. We sense uneasily that we may have failed to do the important. The winds of other people's demands have driven us onto a reef of frustration. We confess, quite apart from our sins, "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done."
Several years ago an experienced cotton mill manager said to me, "Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important." He didn't realize how hard his maxim hit. It often returns to haunt and rebuke me by raising the critical problem of priorities.
We live in constant tension between the urgent and the important. The problem is that the important task must rarely be done today or even this week. Extra hours of prayer and Bible study, a visit with a friend, careful study of an important book: these projects can wait. But the urgent tasks call for instant action -- endless demands pressure every hour and day.
A man's home is no longer his castle; it is no longer a place away from ugent tasks because the telephone breaches the walls with imperious demands. The momentary appeal of these tasks seems irresistible and imortant, and they devour our energy. But in the light of time's perspective their deceptive prominence fades; with a sense of loss we recall the important task pushed aside. We realize we've become slaves to the tyrrany of the urgent.
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True, but I still have to get my report cards done and my wedding organized. I still have to go to all the year-end bbqs and ceremonies, the wedding showers, the actual weddings, and so on.
Coffee is going to have to wait for a bit.
2 comments:
Loved the article!I found whenI made myself daily do important things my life became less stressful.Plus, meals got cooked, the house was cleaner, the Bilbe was studied and I was happier!There are times when you know things are all going to come together at once! I have learned to say no to others and myself! It really helped me!
it's even worse when working from home, i've found. it's hard to seperate personal time from work time.
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