{"id":2421,"date":"2023-03-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cogentmotivation.com\/?p=2421"},"modified":"2023-02-25T20:56:52","modified_gmt":"2023-02-25T20:56:52","slug":"if-its-important-only-for-today-then-its-not-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cogentmotivation.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/01\/if-its-important-only-for-today-then-its-not-important\/","title":{"rendered":"If it’s important only for today, then it’s not important!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the challenges we face daily is identifying the activities that matter to us. Often we are late in acknowledging that we got engrossed in \u2018the wrong\u2019 or more precisely, the unplanned activities. How often does it happen that late in the evening we realize that we were certainly busy the whole day and something just happened to pop up? Can there be a simple way to be more conscious of the activities we do and not end up regretting the choices we made? Let\u2019s find out cogently!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image by Gerd Altmann<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To begin with, let\u2019s run through a typical week. On the weekdays when we are busy with our work or schedule, we plan a lot of things to do on weekends. Many of these plans include our hobbies or the new activity\/skill that we intend to begin. Comes the weekend and we typically start late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then scrolling through the feeds while making the coffee gets a little too long. By the time we are done with coffee, we spot that the kitchen and the bathroom need a little bit of cleaning. And so we, the weekend warriors, bring in the cleansing brigade. Even before we are done, the mobile phone rings and it\u2019s our best friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we attend the phone and without a doubt, it lasts for an hour at least. Hola! Now it\u2019s time to go out, after all, if we don\u2019t go out on weekends, then when would we? Only after we return in the evening comes along with us, our old friend, Mr Regret, claiming, \u201cYou didn\u2019t do what you planned to do\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image by Sam Williams<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Does that sound similar? Well, you are not alone. The very first thing to realize here is that activities themselves aren\u2019t the problem here. Clean your house, talking with a friend or going out are certainly very healthy activities. The problem here is their sequencing and your choice to not prioritize any. As harsh and ridiculous as it may sound, making no choice is a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you were planning to start with an hour of learning a new language on your weekend. Now you have an idea of what should be on your to-do list. But does that alone change the result? Unfortunately, no.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Image by Isa KARAKUS<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

One of the biggest misunderstandings we have is that knowing is enough to make things happen. \u201cOh, I know that\u2026\u201d doesn\u2019t magically translate to \u201c\u2026so I did that.\u201d Knowing what to do is certainly the first step but not the only step to getting the activity done. What follows next is where you prioritize this activity. This is where a small trick can help you stay aligned with your plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before beginning with any activity other than breathing, go through an importance-prioritizing checklist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Is this activity also important tomorrow and the week after?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Did you plan on doing it beforehand?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    Image by Tumisu<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Only when could answer \u2018Yes\u2019 to both questions, can you truly say that you are consciously involved in the activity you are about to perform? As you\u2019d notice, a simple 2 question checklist can eliminate a lot of tasks right there and the rest could fit into the priority sequence. This in turn would make you get more things done and more importantly get \u2018the real\u2019 things done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Having said that, there will be emergencies and they never come up planned. In these situations the checklist becomes irrelevant. But then emergencies are also one-offs, they don\u2019t show up regularly. On general normal days or weekends, you\u2019d rather love to find yourself seated on the same sofa, rather satisfied having done what you had planned to.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"
    Image by GraphicMama-team<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    So whenever Mr Regret shows up at your door, you can tell him that you didn\u2019t miss him and would be very happy to drop him off at the main door! Remember, if something is only important for today, it’s not important at all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    One of the challenges we face daily is identifying the activities that matter to us. Often we are late in acknowledging that we got engrossed in \u2018the wrong\u2019 or more precisely, the unplanned activities. How often does it happen that late in the evening we realize that we were certainly busy the whole day and something just happened to pop up? Can there be a simple way to be more conscious of the activities we do and not end up regretting the choices we made? Let\u2019s find out cogently! … Read More >If it’s important only for today, then it’s not important!<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[9],"tags":[19,23],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nIf it's important only for today, then it's not important! - Cogent Motivation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of the challenges we face daily is identifying the activities that matter to us. 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