It’s that time of year! Deadlines are stacking up! Projects are due. Year-end events are on the horizon.

Administrators and educators always want to do what is best for students. As we focus on this target, one of the most difficult tasks faced on a regular basis is to separate the urgent from the important. We want to do it all!

In the book, First Things First, the authors urge us to be disciplined about time choices. One of these choices is “NOT doing tasks that don’t have priority.” Sounds simple, but it is indeed often the downfall of good intentions.

Urgent events are pressing in on educators! A phone call must be returned to a textbook company by 3:00 p.m.; a co-worker drops by the office to share a frustration or struggle; a parent sends an email that deserves an immediate response. These all appear to be urgent, but are they important?

As educators we must consistently question ourselves about use of our time….is the task urgent or is it important? Important events are driven by ethics, principles, and values. Urgent matters easily press personal and professional goals (what REALLY matters!) to the back burner. Urgent tasks can take over. A strategic and deliberate filter, consistently applied at all times, can stop the urgent from taking over the important.

Reflect back to your last week or even just yesterday...at school, at home, and in your community. Where are you spending your time? How can you manage time differently to maximize satisfaction? What steps can be taken today to move to a "First Things First: Highly Important, Not Urgent" lifestyle? And remember, eWalkThrough® observations are highly important. If conducted regularly, eWalkThroughs® need not become urgent.

[from First Things First by Stephen Covey, Roger Merrill, and Rebecca Merrill and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.]