The Explorer

Volume 2, Issue 11, December 2004

a Life Navigation Coaching publication 

 

 

 

Contemplation

I celebrated my 32nd birthday last week.  Birthdays always put me in a contemplative state.  I usually take some time out of the day to reflect on the events of the past year and to think about what I want out of the next year.  This year’s birthday was even more contemplative for me, as it was marked by sadness. 

Two days before, my cousin, Mark “Billy” Evans, was killed in a helicopter crash in Texas when the army chopper he was piloting clipped a wire in heavy fog.   Just months before, we had been relieved and thankful for his safe return home from Iraq, and now, in a freak accident, he was gone.  He was a good man, a devoted son, and a loving husband and father.  He will be greatly missed.

So, even more than usual, my thoughts have been focused on life, loss, and what’s really important.  I hope that your month is filled with the events, activities, and tasks that are truly important to you.

Love and Joy,

Urgent or Important?

As the end of the year approaches, many people’s lives and schedules begin to develop a sense of urgency.  Days become busier, with deadlines to be met, exams to take, holidays to prepare for, and family and friends to see.  It’s easy to become swept up in the busy-ness of December, as “To Do” lists grow longer and days grow shorter.

This December, take some time to evaluate the tasks on your “To Do” list (whether that list is written down on scraps of paper, digitized on your computer, or just floating around in your head).  How important are the tasks on your list?  How necessary is it for you to complete them at this time? 

In First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy, Stephen R. Covey, Roger Merrill, and Rebecca Merrill distinguish between “urgency” and “importance.”  Tasks can be classified as either “urgent” or “not urgent” and “important” or “not important.” 

Urgent tasks are those that need to be completed right away.  Urgent tasks might include phone calls, interruptions, crises, deadlines, or responding to a child’s cry.  Urgent tasks require quick action, and they often keep us hopping throughout the day.  The trouble is, urgent tasks have a way of seeming important whether they actually are or not.  As time passes, you may find that you’ve spent so much of your time completing seemingly important urgent tasks that you’ve neglected the tasks that are truly important.

Important tasks are “those that contribute to our overall objectives and give richness and meaning to life” (pg. 36).  Important tasks might include dealing with and preventing problems, planning and preparation for the future, taking care of yourself, and spending quality time with loved ones.  Some important tasks are also urgent, but some equally important tasks are not urgent.  That is, it’s crucial that these important, non-urgent tasks be completed, but there’s no pressure to complete them anytime soon.  Because these important, non-urgent tasks have no pressure associated with them, they may be put off during busy times.

Ironically, the urgent tasks associated with preparing for and celebrating the holidays may actually prevent us from spending enjoyable time on the holiday activities that we consider most important.  If your day-to-day focus is on the urgent tasks on your list (such as decorating the house, purchasing gifts, planning parties, and running errands), you may forget to spend time on the non-urgent but very important tasks (such as spending quality time with family and friends, reflecting on what the season means to you, and renewing your energy during downtime from work and family commitments).

In many cultures, the last month of the year is traditionally devoted to celebration and joy.  We look back over the blessings of the past year and look forward to the new joys that await us.  We celebrate light, birth, family, and nature.  We take time to be together with those we love.  Remember this, and fill your days with truly important tasks.

The truly important stuff of life.

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Lisa M. Evans, Ph.D.

(actually, this is her son.  she's much older.)

(614) 262-8820

lisa@lifenavigationcoaching.com

www.lifenavigationcoaching.com

 

 

The Explorer is published monthly to inspire curious people – people who love to explore, discover, and learn – to go out and get what they want.  It is written by Lisa M. Evans, Ph.D., of Life Navigation Coaching, who coaches people to close the gap between where they are and where they want to be.

You can contact Lisa at (614) 262-8820 or by e-mail at lisa@lifenavigationcoaching.com.

Visit Life Navigation Coaching at www.lifenavigationcoaching.com to learn more about life coaching, Lisa, and opportunities for you.

You may use material from The Explorer in whole or in part, provided you include the complete attribution, including a live web site link and e-mail link.  Please inform me when and where the material will appear.  

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© Copyright 2004  Lisa M. Evans, Ph.D.