President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "The urgent is seldom important and the important is seldom urgent." In one of my favorite books, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey, Covey writes about "Putting First Things First." He provides a quadrant where you can place activities based on Urgency and Importance. Covey affirms what Pres. Eisenhower said by showing that most highly important activities are rarely urgent. We have become a society of the "urgent." "Urgency" people are reactionary.We react to the emails, phone calls, and meetings. "Importance" people are proactive. They prioritize planning, "visioning", and goal setting. They understand sacrifice for long-term gain. We don't have the commitment, discipline, and willingness to be "importance" people. It takes too much time. It takes sacrifice. It takes delayed gratification. "Urgency" people don't realize dreams. They don't save for the future. They never have enough time for personal and professional development. They let life happen "to" them. "Importance" people reach their goals and set new ones. They make time for what's important (life, family, health). They create the life they want. As a nation, we need more people choosing the important over the urgent. It means making the time and making the hard choices, but it means greater success and self actualization. Do you prioritize the important over the urgent? What techniques do you use?
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