I was reading one of those books about achieving one’s aspirations.  I don’t remember which one.

I remember there was this image of a square divided into four smaller squares.  On one axis there was a column for each row of two squares. One was marked, “Urgent”. The other was marked “Not Urgent”.  Likewise on the other axis the two rows were marked, “Important” and “Not Important”. The idea was that most things in life will fit into one of these four boxes, many things are in the “Urgent, but Not Important” box.  Some are in the “Urgent and Important” box and some are in the “Not Urgent, but Important” box.

It helps to develop discernment about which items are Important, and which are only Urgent.  Sometimes it’s obvious. Feeding your children dinner is Urgent and Important, replying to a Facebook comment is Urgent, but Not Important, and a lot of things are tricky to tell and could be different depending on one’s values and priorities.

Cutting down on the amount of time we spend in Urgent, but Not Important tasks would free up more time for the Important, but Not Urgent tasks, such as personal and spiritual development, the cultivation of our creative and artistic voice, and the development and support of community.

Caring for ourselves is usually in the “Not Urgent, but Important” box.

The fact that it’s usually not Urgent means that it tends to get put off…sometimes indefinitely.  Sometimes until it becomes Urgent.

If you want to consistently do a task that is Important, but not Urgent it helps to create some kind of support structure.  

There are different strategies for this.  People do this by setting up a time to meet with their buddy and go to the gym, or for a walk. They set work timers to help them remember to take a break, or scheduled reminders (those little things you can make pop up on your computer or device) for actions they want to do.  Usually we try and generate something that will push us toward the action that we want to take.

Care for our well-being is too Important to have it eclipsed by all the endless Urgent things.  Can you find a structure that will support that care and make it more likely to happen?

In my business, One Health Massage, I’ve created structures with this in mind.  I know that we thrive when we receive consistent support, and that it can be hard to do that without a structure to help us show up.

What sort of structure will make it easier for you to get the care that helps you live your best life?