The Mere Urgency Effect - Deepstash
How To Become a Better Decision-Maker

Learn more about timemanagement with this collection

Understanding the importance of decision-making

Identifying biases that affect decision-making

Analyzing the potential outcomes of a decision

How To Become a Better Decision-Maker

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The Mere Urgency Effect

This bias addresses why we do unimportant tasks we think are time-sensitive over tasks that are not time-sensitive, even if the non-time-sensitive tasks provide greater rewards.

How to overcome this bias:

  • Use the Eisenhower Matrix. It will reveal the urgent/not urgent and important/not important tasks.
  • Block off on your calendar the most productive 2-4 hours each day for your most important work.
  • Only answer emails at specific times. Don't allow email to bleed into other time.
  • Give your important tasks a deadline and find a way to commit to it.

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4.9K reads

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We All Tend To Make The Same Mental Mistakes

We All Tend To Make The Same Mental Mistakes

Economists used to believe that people will always choose the option that maximizes their well-being. But people act against their rational self-interest all the time.

We procrastinate and eat junk food and say yes to the things we don't have time for. Two Israeli psycholo...

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6.85K reads

The Zeigarnik Effect

This effect describes our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks. Each unfinished task takes up some of your attention, splitting your focus. It also interferes with your sleep.

What you can do about it:

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The Sunk Cost Fallacy

We want to finish what we've started because of previously invested resources, even if it is better to quit and use our limited resources elsewhere for better returns.

What you can do about it:

  • Every decision has two costs...

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2.57K reads

Hedonic Adaptation

We quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite positive or negative external events. We pursue a promotion and believe it will make us happy. When we get it, we are temporarily happier, only to get back to our baseline levels the next week.

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2.45K reads

Present Bias

We tend to choose a smaller, immediate reward over a larger reward in the future. For example, playing video games is more enjoyable than writing or coding or designing.

What you can do about it:

  • Help your future self...

1.21K

2.35K reads

Complexity Bias

We are inclined to believe that complex solutions and explanations are better than simple ones. The perception of complexity often leads to avoidance.

What you can do about it:

  • Instead of seeking to understand a concept fully,

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2.29K reads

The Planning Fallacy

We tend to underestimate the time it will take to complete a future task despite knowing that previous tasks have taken longer.

What you can do about it:

  • Break projects down into smaller parts and estimat...

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2.91K reads

CURATED FROM

CURATED BY

ethho

I wish I knew about the 80/20 rule much earlier.

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Mere Urgency Effect - Urgency trumps importance

Mere Urgency Effect - Urgency trumps importance

The effect shows our tendency to prioritise perceived time-sensitive tasks over non-urgent tasks, even if the non-urgent jobs carry greater rewards.

This cognitive bias reveals why we will rather respond to emails at the expense of meaningful work. Moreover, research shows...

Understanding importance over urgency

The Eisenhower Matrix system forces us to prioritize important tasks over urgent tasks.

Put your tasks in one of four separate categories:

  • Urgent and Important tasks/projects to be completed immediately.
  • Not Urgent & Important...

What you can do about the urgency effect

What you can do about the urgency effect

Use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritise your tasks. The matrix is a framework to help you decide what work is really important and what work is not urgent.

  • Block off your most productive 2-4 hours each day and dedicate it to your most important work....

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