Important or urgent?

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

“This will only take a minute.” How many times have you heard this assurance? How many times have you rolled your eyes, knowing that everything takes more time and effort than anticipated? You start making or fixing something, only to discover that you don’t have the right tools or all the materials needed. You plan a quick trip but are caught behind farm machinery or are surprised by construction. You arrive on time, but the doctor is running late or your date is still getting ready.

If you have a busy schedule, missing appointments and deadlines can ruin your whole day. Once lateness rears its ugly head, it knocks back everything on your agenda like a row of dominos. Your day can become a frantic dash to make up for lost time, and each new delay only makes the stress worse. And if scheduling nightmares rob you of proper sleep, you’ll start the next day already behind the eight ball.

There are two obvious fixes to this problem. First, always put wiggle room into your schedule. Assume that everything will take more time and effort than you think it will. Second, don’t fill your schedule with so many things to do. Of course, these tips are easier said than done. Much of your schedule is dictated by other people—bosses, children, repairmen and receptionists. So you have to look very carefully at those places in your day where the agenda is under your control.

You need to separate the urgent from the important. Urgent things can seem important because the clock is ticking. But important things are not determined solely by deadlines. Important things have long-lasting consequences. Important things require careful thought and focused attention. Important things cannot be rushed.

Important things need your attention much more than things which are merely urgent. Ask yourself: is a sales presentation more important than your daughter’s recital? Is your time better spent working out at the gym to tone your muscles, or by reading the Bible to nourish your soul? This is why you need God’s help; without His guidance, we rarely use the little time we have to make sure that the important things get done.