Sorry, but I just played a little mind game with you. But it was for a purpose. I wonder if you quickly opened this email before doing something important because you saw the word “urgent.” The late U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower is quoted as saying, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”

How do you discern between what is really important and what is simply urgent? It is a task with which all leaders have to deal on a daily basis.

An article in mission.org details what they call the Eisenhower plan for prioritizing those things that come into our lives.

  1. Priority 1 tasks are both urgent and important.
  2. Priority 2 tasks are important but not urgent.
  3. Priority 3 tasks are urgent but not important.
  4. Priority 4 tasks are neither urgent nor important.

Then the article gives a headline to show how to deal with each of these priorities.

DO Priority 1 tasks.
DECIDE Priority 2 tasks.
DELEGATE Priority 3 tasks.
DELETE Priority 4 tasks.

Often, urgent issues stem from a crisis or possibly poor planning on your part. The urgent matters that come across your desk or demand your attention are usually caused by someone else’s problems or mistakes. These “urgent” issues can cloud your judgment and distract you from what truly matters in your life.

Important tasks are those that align with our long-term mission, values, and goals. When these tasks are interrupted by items that seem urgent, it affects the overall mission in front of you. When you are called to lead toward God’s task—His calling and vision—these interruptions can become obstacles to fulfilling everything the Lord has planned for you and your ministry.

Even as a young boy, Jesus understood what mattered. You probably remember that time when Jesus’ parents searched for him for several days after leaving Jerusalem. Young Jesus had stayed behind to speak with the leaders in the synagogue. When his parents found him, Jesus offered a simple, straightforward reply:

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Luke 2:49 (NKJV)

Jesus’ parents felt it was urgent for him to stay with them. Jesus understood that the most important thing was to do His Father’s business.

One more point from the mission.org article:

“If you are serious about improving your time management and productivity, take care of the most important and urgent tasks everyday first. Do them in the first 90 minutes of your workday if you can….”

Most of us are fresher in the mornings, and if we can take care of the important tasks early in the day, then we can deal with the urgent without disrupting God’s mission and ministry.

Take a look at your list. What is urgent…and what is really important?

God’s best,