Misguided Urgency and Reaching Goals | How to Realign Your Priorities + Responsibilities

Misguided urgency is the killer of getting things done. Remember that!

Someday, a post written by The Minimalists inspired me to do this little exercise a few weeks ago. I’ve completed similar activities before and the results are always the same.

This type of exercise, when done regularly, helps me realign my priorities, responsibilities, and goals – both personal and professional.

In order to accomplish your goals, realign your priorities and responsibilities.

Working for an AmeriCorps program equals wearing many hats, managing many projects simultaneously, and always being flexible and ready for things to change. Sometimes little “emergencies” creep up and derail the progress I’m making on my to-do list. This also happens in my personal life.

In order to accomplish your goals, they must align with your priorities and responsibilities. This means some shuffling might have to happen.

After doing this exercise I immediately adjust my daily and long term to-do lists. The big things I really care about — traveling, self-care, my Goddaughter– get moved back up to the top of the list and replace the “urgent” items that crept up there over time.

The world will not crumble if I don’t get this one mundane task completed today. My office will not seize to a halt if I can’t respond to all the emails I received in one day. However, I’d be pretty heartbroken if I let an opportunity to visit a friend in Belize slip through my fingers.

Check out my Mighty Life List to see what goals I’ve accomplished so far!

Here is what I came up with when I recently did this exercise

Someday (things I’ve been meaning to do lately)

• buy a bookshelf for bedroom
• fix external hard drive
• go to yoga more often
• write more
• finish the damn books I started
• hang pictures
• get haircut

Today (how I spent the last 24 hours)

• driving, stuck in traffic
• respond to work emails
• reading Twitter & FB posts
• began a draft of new blog post
• listened to music
• grocery shopping
• cooking
• Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest
• making notes in my calendar
• laundry
• dishes
• sleep

As you can see, not a single item on my Today list helped me make progress on my Someday list. There is no date on the piece of paper, but it doesn’t seem like a workday, so WHY AM I RESPONDING TO WORK EMAILS?!

Those can always wait until Monday. Always.

Is misguided urgency holding you back?

The answer most likely is YES. Try this exercise for yourself and see. There are only a few steps, and I guarantee you will learn something about where your priorities lay.

1. Grab a blank piece of paper and a pen.
2. Write “Someday” along the top, then for about a minute list all the things you want to do but haven’t yet.
3. After one minute, flip the paper over and write “Today” along the top. List everything you’ve done in the last 24 hours.
4. Compare the two lists. What items on your “today” list contribute to items on your “someday” list? Circle them! These priorities are in alignment.

All that’s left uncircled is where you need to rethink and reprioritize.

Here are the next steps:

Ask yourself: “How important are these “someday” goals?” and “Which goals do I have a responsibility to uphold?” (Perhaps they are work-related.) Highlight the ones that are non-negotiable.

Next, ask yourself: “What small steps can I take today to get closer to these goals?” Write down one step for each goal on a separate piece of paper.

You just created your new reprioritized to-do list!

Focus on completing just the things on this new list. Everything else you get done today is a bonus.