How to attend to ‘not urgent but important’ tasks

In my last article, I discussed why it is important to attend to tasks which are not urgent but important in your relationships, your mental health, and your career. I provided many examples of the positive effects of attending to these tasks and of the negative consequences of failing to attend to them.

Given how important it is to attend to tasks which are not urgent but important, it is essential to know how to attend to them. In the following sections, I will discuss steps which you can take to do just that.

Steps for attending to ‘not urgent but important’ tasks

The first step in attending to these tasks is to remind yourself of the importance of setting aside time for them. One way to do this is to write down the advantages of performing these tasks and post these advantages in a visible place where you can be reminded of them. This will make performing these tasks ‘top of mind’ so that you give them the priority status they merit.

The second step is to schedule these tasks on a regular basis. Scheduling them for specific days and times makes it much more likely you will engage in these tasks. Ideally, if you can set aside a specific time each week to engage in some of these tasks they will become part of your routine so that you will look forward to doing them each week. Not scheduling these ‘not urgent but important’ tasks often results in their not happening because tasks which are urgent will demand your attention and be done instead.

Applying the steps to your relationships

Applying the first step to your relationships entails reminding yourself of the importance of setting aside time for not urgent but important relationship tasks. One way to do this is to write down the advantages of performing these tasks and to post these advantages in a visible place where you can be reminded of them. For example, reminding yourself that scheduling a date with your partner or dinner with a friend will be good for your mood will make it more likely that you will set aside time for these not urgent but important relationship activities.

The second step is to schedule these not urgent but important relationship activities on a regular basis. Scheduling them for specific days and times makes it much more likely you will engage in these tasks. Ideally, if you can set aside a specific time each week to engage in some of these tasks they will become part of your routine so that you will look forward to doing them each week. For example, many of the couples with whom I work have regular date nights scheduled, often on a weekly or a bi-weekly basis.

Applying the steps to your mental health

Applying the first step to your mental health entails reminding yourself of the importance of setting aside time for not urgent but important mental health tasks. One way to do this is to write down the advantages of performing these tasks and to post these advantages in a visible place where you can be reminded of them. For example, reminding yourself of the benefits to your mental health of scheduling time for behavioural, physical and cognitive self-focused coping activities will make it more likely that you will set aside time for these not urgent but important mental health activities.

The second step is to schedule these not urgent but important mental health activities on a regular basis. Scheduling them for specific days and times makes it much more likely you will engage in these tasks. Ideally, if you can set aside a specific time each week to engage in some of these tasks they will become part of your routine so that you will look forward to doing them each week. For example, I schedule 75 minutes each day to practice piano (behavioural self-focused coping), I schedule exercise during the morning throughout the week involving swimming, biking, strength and abdominal exercises (physical self-focused coping) and I set aside time later in the day to do thought records (cognitive self-focused coping) when situations occur which require them.

Applying the steps to your career

Applying the first step to your career entails reminding yourself of the importance of setting aside time for not urgent but important career tasks. One way to do this is to write down the advantages of performing these tasks and to post these advantages in a visible place where you can be reminded of them. For example, reminding yourself of the benefits to your career of scheduling time for not urgent but important activities like career planning will make it more likely that you will set aside time for these not urgent but important career activities.

The second step is to schedule these not urgent but important career activities on a regular basis. Scheduling them for specific days and times makes it much more likely you will engage in these tasks. Ideally, if you can set aside a specific time each week to engage in some of these tasks they will become part of your routine so that you will look forward to doing them each week. For example, you could schedule one hour per week for career planning.

How to make ‘not urgent but important’ tasks a priority

Whether ‘not urgent but important’ tasks apply to your relationships, your mental health or your career, you need to make them a priority in order to accomplish them. To compensate for the lack of urgency which detracts from getting these tasks done, it is often necessary to use the two steps discussed in this article to make them a priority: (1) reminding yourself of the benefits of performing these tasks; and (2) scheduling these tasks. Following these two steps should make it more likely that you enjoy the benefits of attending to tasks which are not urgent but important.

May you attend to tasks which are not urgent but important,

Dr. Pat