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Diet & Nutrition

2007-10-01 11:09:00

Urgent vs. important

I run around constantly trying to accomplish everything I need to during the day, yet I still don’t have time to spend on the things that are really important to me like time with my family. How can I find time for the things that are most important to me?

Spending time on the things in life that matter most is imperative. Life is so short. Wasting time on things that don’t have lasting meaning, things that seem urgent, but really aren’t important lead to regrets. Spending time on things of lasting importance leads to satisfaction and fulfillment. Urgent things are anything that look important but in reality keep you from your goal. For example, the phone ringing in the middle of an important conversation might seem important. The incessant ringing beckons you to get up, leave your conversation, and answer it. The fact is that nothing is more important than face time with your family. Other items that tend to get in the way are things like emails, TV, even housework. While some things do need to be done, most of them are not critical and can be delayed in order to spend time on the important things. One question you can ask yourself is , “What is the worst thing that will happen if I don’t spend time on this right now?” Let the phone go to voice mail, pick a time to check emails, and work on the house a little at a time. Grab the precious time you have with your family and savor it. Every minute that passes can never be recovered. Make the minutes you spend memorable ones. The house won’t remember if it was spotless, the people that call won’t remember tomorrow that you didn’t answer the phone, but your family will remember that you always took time for them. They will remember that you passed on your wisdom; they will remember that you cared enough to put some things off in order to be available to them. Donna Krech says, “Life is short; don’t miss a minute of it.” So how can you assure that you spend the majority of your time on important things? Have a daily plan. Plan time to do the little things and then make time for the important things. I’ve said this before; a daily written plan will get you ten times closer to all of your goals. Some ideas, group your projects together. Do all your emails at once or make all your calls at once. Starting and stopping wastes time. Get up 15 minutes earlier and go to bed 15 minutes later. 30 minutes a day used wisely can allow you to get some of those little things done saving time for the big things. Hire an assistant, housekeeper, or yard attendant to take care of the small things. Turn off the TV, most people spend several hours per day or week in front of the TV that could be spent on important things. Watching TV with your family in the same room or other parts of the house doesn’t count. Quality interactions are what you’re after. Finally, work when you’re working; focus in on the tasks at hand and get them done saving your time and energy. Once you begin to focus on paying attention to the things and people that matter most to you, you’ll find all kinds of ways to create the time to make important memories. Keep in mind these times need not cost a lot of cash. Going on a picnic, playing a game, or just talking are simple ways to show what you value most. Creating a plan and focusing on it, allows you to indulge in the important rather than getting snowed under by the urgent. You will be happier and your family more fulfilled when you spend your moments making memories.