Everything that you have to do during the day can be
divided into one of four categories.
These categories are determined by designating your tasks as either
urgent or not urgent, and important or not important.
The first type of task is both urgent and important. This is something that you have to do
immediately. It’s a job that’s in your
face. Urgent and important tasks like
important phone calls, meetings, customer calls and emergencies are almost
always determined by other people. They
are vital requirements of your job. You
cannot put them off without causing serious problems. Most people spend all day long doing things
that are both urgent and important.
The second category of items is those that are important
but not urgent. These are the items that
usually have the greatest possible long-term consequences. These are items like personal renewal,
upgrading your knowledge and skills, physical fitness and exercise, and
spending time with your family.
The third category of tasks is those items that are urgent
but not important. These may consist of
telephone calls, coworkers dropping in to see you, casual conversations about
what was on television, and so on.
The greatest time wasters of all are those activities that
are neither urgent nor important. These are things that you do during the day
that are completely irrelevant and have no consequences at all, like reading
the newspaper, calling home to see what’s for dinner, or going shopping. They contribute nothing to your company or to
your personal goals.
Always ask yourself, “What are the long-term potential
consequences of doing this task?
What would happen if I didn’t do it at all?” And whatever your answer, let it guide you in
your choice of priorities.
