Urgency is poisonous
Jason Fried:
One thing I’ve come to realize is that urgency is overrated. In fact, I’ve come to believe urgency is poisonous. Urgency may get things done a few days sooner, but what does it cost in morale? Few things burn morale like urgency. Urgency is acidic.
This 37Signals article could not have been more timely for me. Lately, I’ve been trying to ask myself a question I’ve found difficult in the past: Can this wait until tomorrow?
On the surface, this sounds like procrastination, but I’ve come to realize it’s really a question of urgency. Can this wait until tomorrow? puts my priorities in perspective, and in doing so usually gives me more freedom. Taking this step back allows me to see if my stress is really justified, and most of the time it isn’t.
The challenging part of this excellent philosophy comes in a work environment where your opinion of what can wait until tomorrow differs from your boss’ opinion.