I know. That title sounds like a bunch of hype. Stay with me on this: 30 years ago I took a course in time management. There were two terms that I internalized, and my ability to manage my time increased dramatically. The facilitator made the point that most of us live in the “tyranny of the urgent“. We live there, and we stay there because we fall prey to “tantalizing trivialities“. He then gave us the remedy in 7 simple steps.
Know what you want, and want it badly.
Set written goals that are specific and time related.
Categorize and prioritize all tasks and activities stemming from these goals.
Plan each day beforehand working directly from the written goals.
Work in order or priority. Stay focused and work single-handedly until each priority is complete. (Avoid tantalizing trivialities!)
Do not procrastinate. Always work on the most important thing you should be working on, even if you don’t want to do it.
Reward yourself at the end of the day and sit down in success!
It took a while since implementing these steps involves changing some habits and behavior. The reward has been enormous. I spend most of my time working on things that are important and not urgent. It is a great way to live. If you follow these steps and stay with them, you will beat the “tyranny of the urgent”.
