PRIORITY – if everything is urgent, then nothing is!

Ivana Lekic
Apr 22
4 min read

Updated: May 2

I hope last week’s exercise helped wake up some of your sleepy bits and showed you that you might not have as many obligations as you imagined. I hope you also realised that nothing has to be done. And the things that really “must” be done aren’t difficult at all since you know they have an expected deadline and will eventually get you closer to what you actually want.

Now that we’ve identified what we want to act on, the next relevant step in defeating the instant phenomenon is: Prioritization.

Ah, you’ll say—this, I know. I’m great at this. Honestly, it seems like the whole world is. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a single job application or CV that doesn’t list “prioritization” as a skill. Always right there beside “organization” and “leadership.”And then what happens? That “organized leader with great prioritization skills” starts a new job and the minute they’re handed more than one task: system crash.

What I’m trying to say is: we throw around the word “prioritization” way too easily. Meanwhile, we are all suffering from chronic burnout- it is our new reality.

I’m not negating the existence of external factors, out of your control. For example, when your employer knowingly takes on more projects than the team can handle. No one takes into account that someone’s on vacation, someone’s out sick, and you’re left with two and a half people (one being an intern)—trying to deliver everything that was promised to the client “for yesterday.”

That has nothing to do with one’s ability to prioritize and efficiently utilize the available time. It is about the ability of saying “NO”. But we’ll save that one for another story.

And I was no better than everyone - I had that kind of a CV too. I’ve contributed to the burnout statistics as well. But as part of growing and developing, I’ve learned—through hard-earned experience—what these words and labels really weigh.

Priorities: What is urgent?

By definition, prioritization is the process of identifying and ranking your tasks, obligations, or goals based on importance and urgency. The goal is to focus your time, energy, and resources on what brings the most value or impact at any given moment.

Last week we already established you’re great at making lists. But prioritizing is more than just writing down a to-do list and putting numbers next to tasks from one to forever, just to mark which one will be done first, second and so forth, but all by the end of the day.

And, sure, make your list—I won’t rob you of that small joy. I love lists too. But the key question is: What on that list is truly urgent?

When I wrote about the instant phenomenon, one of the core problems I highlighted was that we never agreed on the definition of “urgent.” And while I agree that definitions should be tailored depending on context (personal vs. professional), I still believe the following is a solid baseline:

An urgent situation is any condition, event, or scenario that requires immediate attention and action due to the risk of serious negative consequences, particularly regarding:

Your personal health or safety – physical and mental well-being
The health or safety of others – especially when delay could cause harm to individuals or groups
Environmental or physical safety – including damage to property, infrastructure, or ecological systems
Sustainability – personal (e.g., mental resilience, financial stability) and business (e.g., operations, legal compliance, reputation)

So, anything on your list that meets this definition? You mark it as urgent. Because delaying action may worsen the situation to a point of no return. Plus, the longer you

postpone, the more stress it causes—and hello, burnout.

This matters. Because we want to avoid situations like this:

The main water pipe burst, and we’re busy picking towel colors.(Not an exaggeration—I’ve lived through meetings where I literally said that out loud.)

Priorities: What’s important & who should do it?

Everything else on the list? Look at it from the lens of importance. Important activities aren’t urgent, but they help you achieve long-term goals—they prevent things from becoming urgent. These require a well-thought-out plan to use your resources efficiently.

This will demand a brave choice. You’ll need to decide what deserves your energy, time, and attention right now—and what can wait. That doesn’t make it less important. It’s just not important right now.

Then comes the boldest question: Do I really need to be the one doing this? Now we touch a sore spot—for both personal and professional worlds: the ability to delegate.

Delegating means trust, clear communication, and letting go of control without letting go of responsibility. It means having the courage to admit:

You’re not irreplaceable
Total control is an illusion
Tasks don’t need to be “perfect” (by your standards)—just done well enough to move things forward

And yes, I know what your brain just screamed: “But if I don’t do it, it won’t be done right! Only I can do it best and fastest!”. You’re probably right. But at a high cost. I know the story all too well. I’ve fallen for it and others have imposed it over me. I’ve got diabetes and high blood pressure to prove it.

What I’ve learned: Delegating is not weakness. It’s leadership.

Historically, even the most powerful emperors and generals delegated—no one conquered an empire alone.

Today, a good manager knows: if you’re not delegating, you are your own worst nightmare. And, back at home, it’s the same. If you’re not sharing responsibilities with your partner, your kids, your support systems (yes, this includes calling a friend)—instant burnout.