CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE STUDIOMusings
If everything is urgent, where do we start?
A little thought for those priority lists where every line ends with an exclamation mark. Sometimes three, just to be sure.
The number one priority. And the other twelve.
There is something reassuring about writing “urgent.” It feels like you have moved things forward. The problem is that the word creates neither time, nor extra hands, nor a thirty-hour day. A shame: the concept had potential.
Put things in order.
A deadline can be very real. So can an unexpected problem. But between “this is blocking the launch” and “it would be nice to have it today,” there is a useful conversation to be had. Which of these requests actually clears the way for what comes next?
A little clarity, a lot of breathing room.
Choosing a first step does not mean abandoning the others. It simply means accepting that you cannot walk through five doors at once. A clear order lets you focus, finish something and move on to the next thing.
The exclamation mark can take a break.
The next time an entire list becomes urgent, let’s try one simple question: if only one thing had to be finished today, which would it be? The rest might deserve a date. Not necessarily a siren.