When I was a kid I had a little hamster named Henry. He was one of my only pets. He was cute and furry and we let him run around once in awhile . . . much nicer than my evil parakeet we later brought into our home. If you have ever had a hamster you know they will run around on the wheel in their cage. Well Henry did this quite often, but he ran on the outside of the wheel. We knew when he was running because that wheel squeaked loud!
One New Year’s Day I woke up and looked over and Henry looked very asleep. I don’t know if he had a crazy New Year’s Eve or what, but Henry was no longer with us.
As I reflect on this it makes me think. I don’t know when my last day will be. Am I running like a hamster on a wheel or am I intentionally filling my days with purpose? Am I simply chasing the urgent and getting nowhere or am I purposely and intentionally pursuing life focusing on the important as much as the urgent.
Years ago I learned the concept of the four quadrants. I referred to it in a post previously, but I will review them briefly. They are divided into urgent and important and to illustrate you can see below.
|
I Important And Urgent |
III Important NOT Urgent |
|
II Urgent And NOT Important |
IV NOT Important And NOT Urgent |
Henry, my hamster, I would argue lived in quadrant I of important/urgent. I wonder if he thought he was actually accomplishing something as he ran on top of his wheel each day. This is where we run through our days answering e-mails, texts, or other communication and responding to everyone else’s problems. Somedays I wonder if I am just the hamster and running busily, but am I productive?
A continual example of when I live in quadrant II is when my boys are fighting for any number of reasons, but in the process it usually gets to a fever pitch of screaming for mom and/or dad. At that point the crisis becomes urgent, but probably not that important because the reality is one child is simply trying to get the other in trouble or if I give it enough time they will figure it out on their own (but I may have to repair drywall afterwards). How much time are you spending in this quadrant?
In our information age I can easily wander into quadrant IV. Checking my personal e-mail account I constantly get tempted to click on some news teaser which really does not matter and does not help me move closer to my ultimate goal. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and more all have their value but usually suck me into the not important and not urgent unless I have an intentional purpose for being on that platform.
The final quadrant is where we develop ourselves, but is also the most neglected. Quadrant III is where we pay attention to creating space to take care of our bodies with proper exercise and nutrition. We take time to think into how we will intentionally go through our day. We engage with material that stretches our thinking and helps us grow. Spiritual disciplines fit into this quadrant as well. This is the quadrant where we may work ahead on projects, plan special events with our family and more.
As a parent and as a leader where do you spend most of your time? Being that in the States it is Labor Day weekend as I write this, where do you labor the most? What Quad III habits do you need to develop? Who will help you to develop the right habits to grow as a leader in these areas? The small disciplines make a huge difference in helping us lead from a more balanced perspective.
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