There are so many distractions on a daily basis which make it hard to stay focused. Since none of us have the capability to add hours to our days we need to make the most of the time we have. Whether it is at work or at home, we need to be ability to prioritize the urgent over the important and the important over everything else. How you decide what falls into these two categories will define your life.
Urgent issues must be addressed and usually have a short-term time horizon. You typically ignore them at your peril or to your own disadvantage. What you classify as important stems from your own personal value system and your responsibility to and for other people. It also helps to have a good sense of proportion when it comes to the best use of your energy, skills, and talents. There are unlimited things we could be doing with our time, but most of these options will have minimal impact on our well-being or the welfare of other people who are important to us.
Everyone I know wants to be happy, successful and leave a positive legacy. It all starts with how you spend your time. I urge you to treat time as the precious commodity it truly is. It is one thing we all have in common, which is finite. Distractions will always be there but strive to be disciplined and focused. Prioritize the things that advance your life in positive ways.
Related articles
- Focus on The Conversation Not The Distractions (capacity-building.com)
- Focus Your Time Well and Fulfill Your Commitments (capacity-building.com)
- The Urgent/Important Matrix – Using time effectively not just efficiently – Time Management Skills from MindTools.com (mindtools.com)
- Time frames (sethgodin.typepad.com)