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Don't Let the 'Urgent' Overtake the 'Important'

Time-Wasting Tasks

Some tasks are neither urgent nor important, but as these time-wasting tasks are in front of us, we end up consuming our time with them. These include:

Browsing social media
Reading junk articles and posts
Playing distracting games.

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Don't Let the 'Urgent' Overtake the 'Important'

entrepreneur.com

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Urgent Vs Important

A lot of people make the mistake of turning down important work due to urgent work that comes up suddenly.

A task requiring immediate attention is an urgent task, whereas important tasks are those that when they're done, they will add value to the organization.

Time-Wasting Tasks

Some tasks are neither urgent nor important, but as these time-wasting tasks are in front of us, we end up consuming our time with them. These include:

Browsing social media
Reading junk articles and posts
Playing distracting games.

Avoiding Urgent Tasks

Urgent tasks are the ones that are not adding any value but come up to be done at that moment. The right approach is to avoid the urgent and focus on the important.

Example: Answering a phone call can seem urgent, due to its ringing, but it may not be that important.

Urgent And Important Tasks

Many tasks fall into the urgent and important category and have to be prioritized in your to-do list as critical.

Focus on completing these tasks first.

Neglected And Important Tasks

Tasks that are important but not urgent are the most neglected. These include researching, documenting, planning and organizing.

Set aside time for important tasks, even though they don't appear urgent.

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8 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. One hundred twenty-six. That's how many emails are expected to be sent and received per business worker, per day, in 2019. Even more startling? We spend 28 percent of our work week on emails. That comes out to more than 11 hours per week.

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Ignore your inbox when you wake up

Responding to emails as soon as you receive a notification gives others the impression that you’re at their beck and call. It also prevents you from reflecting on your own priorities for...

Empty your inbox daily

Do. If the email is actionable and takes under two minutes, then do the task ASAP.
Delegate. Forward the right tasks to the right people.
Defer. Reply to the message at a better time.
Delete emails that are not important or that you can delegate.
File. Add messages that contain information you will need to your archives.

Stop CC’ing everyone

To avoid filling the email box of staff members, only CC the relevant parties. Ask your team to respond to you individually instead of using the reply-to-all button.

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How Low-Value Work Is Hurting Your Bottom Line

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6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. "It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials." - Bruce Lee At the beginning of this year, a rare few could have predicted how abruptly life would soon change.

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Don't waste valuable energy

We can't waste valuable energy on mindless activities while putting off what matters most for later.

In business, wasting energy means working on low-value tasks, and thinking b...

Cut out the optional

Being overwhelmed may be the new normal, but taking on too many responsibilities may be watering down our overall impact.

Bring back your focus to what matters most. Work on the projects that are the real game-changers. Delegate the discretionary work and eliminate unnecessary meetings.

Design an action plan

Running a thriving business means understanding how to organize your work by importance and knowing when to delegate.

Find your sweet spot. When you consider taking on a project, see if it aligns with your purpose and the organization's broader goals. Ask yourself if you're the right person with the right skillset.
Automate. As your company grows, use automation tools for low-level work. It also allows your employees to make more meaningful contributions.
Set boundaries. Learn to say no to low-level tasks. Set your own limits about what you'll take on.

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There isn’t enough time

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A one size fits all solution

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For example, if scheduling is taking you away from product development, then you could use a scheduling tool that uses machine learning to automate most of your scheduling needs. If you’re wasting too much time on email, then consider using a tool to help tame your inbox.

Less anxiety

Time management is only useful when you’re aware of your limitations and don't let the system dictate your entire life.

In other words, when you don’t tread lightly (especially at first), time management can add more stress to your life.

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