President Eisenhower classified issues according to a grid. On one axis was urgency. On another axis was importance. Two of the four quadrants are easy to figure out. If it is urgent and important, it should be priority. The National Covid-19 response is important (1000 people die in a day) and urgent. Urgent actions such as vaccine approvals and prioritization processes are decided each day toward reducing the number of deaths.
What is not urgent and not important is also easy to figure out. Don't answer that spam call. Cross it off of the to do list!
Two other quadrants fill out our schedules. What is important, but not urgent? What is urgent, but not important?
Urgent but not important is how I might describe our national pass-time, baseball. For me, fantasy baseball has been the preferred mode. Something is always happening. If I know first, I might get the latest closer or promoted prospect for my team. News is on a minute by minute basis. John Means threw 7 one-hit innings. Too bad he was on my bench. I should start him next week. No, he pitches at Yankee stadium next week. For week 3, definitely start John Means and get his two starts.
When I was in the working world I knew better than to have fantasy teams. If I were to get a team it might take all my time. I got a team in 2001 and guess what? It did take all of my time. My aunt became a life master at bridge. She played for ten years and quit. It was taking too much time, she said.
I do like baseball though. The fantasy game does keep me informed. The Twins and Saints this year should be fun even if we don't see as many games as we once did. Feels urgent. Doesn't feel top priority important.
Now, the final quadrant. During the previous presidential administration, there was a circus of provocative statements and actions. It felt important to stay on top of the latest developments and maybe even to watch impeachment hearings. But, was doomscrolling something that we needed to prioritize? Not really. We missed nothing if we read the Economist once per week. The travesties felt like they required our urgent attention. There was little or nothing we could do, though. Some were responsible for responding. Thanks, Capitol police! Most of us were not responsible except on the first Tuesday of the November. Important, yes. Urgent, No.
Cleaning my desk-- important but not urgent. Then again, I really should clean my desk.
Is it important and urgent? If so, it is definitely worth our time.
Eisenhower focused on what was important. Eisenhower was a better president than the last guy.
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