‍Words of Wisdom, Email Newsletter

Plant seeds of wisdom today

Take the next 31 or so breaths slowly and reflect deeply on your life. I hope these words help you grow in you the most valuable treasure in life: wisdom. Wisdom grows imperceptibly but flourishes like a mighty oak, standing the test of time

WoW 111: On what is important over the long run.  Questions, Part 5

Listen instead of reading

If you prefer listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify,
​Apple Podcasts, or Google, or your favorite podcast player.

Feel free to leave me a positive review if you like what you hear! It really helps me spread the message.

Listen to every Words of Wisdom ever recorded.

‍

----------------

Previously we have asked what is the ​most meaningful​ thing you can desire?

Sometimes you know, in general, the direction you should be headed, but identifying what you should prioritize in the day to day is the most difficult thing.

It's easy to identify what feels urgent. It's more difficult to prioritize what is important for the long run.

The tyranny of the urgent always suffocates doing what is most important for the biggest growth. This is true whether it comes to growing a business, growing a soul, or growing a marriage.

See the now well-known mental model known as the Eisenhower matrix to determine what actions you should take.

The Eisenhower matrix has 4 quadrants:

1. Whatever is not important and not urgent.

2. Whatever is urgent but not important

3. Whatever is urgent and important

4. Whatever is important but not urgent

This helps you clarify and prioritize what you can take action, what you can wait on, what you can ignore, and what you can delegate.

You might find that you are often not doing enough of what is important for the long term but this long term view has little to no impact for the short term. It is difficult to think over long time horizons.

To identify what is important but not urgent, look for practices and strategies that slowly compound over time. It's one of the most important investments you can make.

Quotes

"All the returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest."

Naval Ravikant, in a tweetstorm from ​May 31st, 2018​

"To prioritize the day, think about the decade: If I want to be on track to achieve X in 10 years, what do I need to do today?"

James Clear, in his email newsletter from ​September 23rd, 2021​

Questions

Choose an area you want to grow in, or an area of responsibility at work, or in parenting, or your relationship, and ask yourself the following questions.

What are the tasks, practices, and projects that are important, but not urgent?

What can you do regularly that can have compounding growth over time?

Are you doing enough of what is important, but not urgent?

Are you doing too much of what is important, and not enough of what is timely and needed for the short term?

What do you need to say no to in order to do what is important but not urgent?

(Use these questions as a journal prompt and prayers this week)

Endnote

You may know of the Eisenhower matrix, but do you apply it to your life? Choose an area, sit down, and apply this great mental model to your life today so you can reap the benefits in the future.

Live wisely,

Josh

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Did someone send this to you? Do you want to cultivate more of the good, true, courageous, and beautiful in your life?

​Join the growing community​ and subscribe to receive my Words of Wisdom every Wednesday.