Urgency addiction

I wrote about importance before because I wanted to choose the best one (social bias). I am more of an urgent person. I am a very good urgency maker, and I used to feel proud of it. When I read Stephen Covey's book, 'First Things First,' I understood why I do what I do.

In my school days, I wanted to read everything before I went for my exams, but that never used to happen. On the other hand, whatever I had read before, that also I used to forget, and everything seemed a waste. From that day on, I gave up doing it beforehand. I would have enough time to read and revise, but I will wait for just enough time to read. I will be overworked and highly tense. Many times, I failed to complete what I had planned, and then at the exam desk, I would regret not being able to attempt a simple question because I did not have time to revise. I suffer still; I do not change. This question is answered today. So how does my urgency feel? I feel stressed, tense, pressured, and exhausted. Then why I was doing it always? I do it because it feels exciting. Suddenly, it seems I am useful, I am successful. It shows that my actions are valid. I can see instant results and gain gratification. Consider my exam scenario: I study in the last moment with all antennae on and networks fully functional so that all that I study is in my conscience. I will sleep less, eat less, and only study. I am showing that I work so much; I am so useful. My adrenaline is at its peak, giving me strength to read more and sleep less. I am showing I am doing my best. I work as if there is nothing as important as this, showing my actions to be valid. I see I can remember many things, and I gain much gratification that I will be successful in completing my exam successfully. My health is important because if I fall sick, all my efforts are in vain, but still I create urgency and don't prepare beforehand. It has become my habit. This is how our present scenarios are.

Like other addictions, even urgency addiction is dangerous. It shows the following characteristics:

a) With urgency addiction, I am able to create predictable, reliable sensation. For example, I ask my junior to complete the task by evening, making it look as urgent so that I can predict when I will have completed work. We all set time management, and we induce this urgency addiction. Check out all office jobs; this is the story. This was the example quoted by Covey

"Roger: At one of our programs, I’d just gone through the Urgency Index with a group of senior executives from a multinational firm. At the break, the senior manager from Australia came up to me with a wry smile on his face. “I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed. “I am absolutely addicted! It’s the whole culture of our business. We live from crisis to crisis. Nothing ever gets done until somebody says it’s urgent. ”

As he was speaking, the number two man in his operation came up beside him and nodded his head in agreement. They joked about their situation for a minute, but their joking had a serious undertone. Then the senior manager turned to me and said, “You know, when this man joined our company, he wasn’t that way. But now he is too. ’’

His eyes opened wide with sudden realization. “You know what?” he asked.

“I’m not only an addict—I’m a pusher!”"

These things only show that when urgency is in, important is out. Both of them cannot live in the same scabbard. I came across a very simple example as I was reading Tyranny of the Urgent. The author, Charles Hummel, says that we all have 24 hours only; what matters is how we use this time and what choices we make. I always have this issue of time, and this was an eye-opener. He gave an example as quoted below:

He gave a gadget example. Suppose I need an electric drill, which costs $17.90, for an important home project. I borrowed $20 from my father and went to the shop. As I entered the shop, right in front of me was a set of unusual screwdrivers on sale at $3.95. They all have some purpose someday. I bought it. Moving further, my eyes fell on a new kind of wrench that was alluring. I bought it for $6.70. Crossing a couple of sections, I reached the electrical section and found the electrical drill, but now I don't have money. The electrical drill was important, but the fancy attractions of sales and uniqueness made me spend my money on less important things and miss the important one.

This is what happens with me, and now I have known that I spend both money and time without giving a good thought and have started to put a check on it rather than predicting what will happen.

b) Urgent addiction manages to grab our primary focus and absorb our full attention.

Consider the above example of the hardware store. The sale and the uniqueness grabbed my primary focus, and I forgot that I need an electrical drill; it is important, and I don't have much spare money.

c) It removes pain and other negative sensations for the time being.

d) We get caught in the illusionary sense of self-worth, power, control, security, intimacy, accomplishment.

In the store example, I am feeling I am buying a worthy thing, but at this moment it is not the need of the hour.

e) It exacerbates the problems and feelings it is sought to remedy

I went to the store to find an electrical drill that would solve my problem, but my undisciplined behavior delved me into spending more and feeling regretful. This is what urgency does.

f) It worsens functioning and creates loss of relationships

I came back from important to urgent in order to show that we have both the power of urgent and important within ourselves. Despite this, we all are so ingrained in this urgent armor that we don't even realize what we are missing. When we choose to be in urgent dominance, important things get kicked off. So, my next post is on organizing the important over the urgent (Quadrant II).

A- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/acceptance-of-self.html?zx=af3c2e13bf8aa3d6

B- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/boundaries-to-set.html

C- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/compassion-on-yourself.html

D- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/discovering-oneself.html

F- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/forgiving-yourself.html

G- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/grains-of-gratitude.html

H- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/human-experiences-common-to-all.html

K- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/kindness-to-self.html

L- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/l-factor.html

M- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/mindfulness-for-self-compassion.html

N- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/no-that-needs-your-attention.html

O- https://water-1droplet.blogspot.com/2025/04/organize-importants-over-urgent.html