When I wake up, I need a coffee before doing anything else. Then I have to check my emails to see if I've heard back from people overnight. Must have a shower. And breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I have to rush sometimes to fit it in.
When I get back from work I need to relax for a few minutes in front of the TV, then have a chat with my partner. I've got to meet a friend for a quick drink because I haven't seen him for ages. Then I have to pop out to buy something for dinner as the fridge is empty. The dog needs a walk, as well.
These things are urgent but not important, not vital. Our lives get tangled up in the urgent - that which we feel cannot be postponed. And this entanglement fills any available space, including that space we should reserve for the truly important.
Exercise, meditation, learning a language, creative arts, and a host of other things are important but not urgent. So what if we miss a day? The gym will be there for me tomorrow (along with my unused Spanish CDs, my clean paintbrushes, and the blank notebook in which I'm starting my novel). In fact it can even wait until the day after.
The important stuff is vital to us. Either we can trim back the urgent (and that's a losing battle - urgency is a rapidly growing plant) or we can carve out an undisturbed space to focus on the important. But the dedication to making that time only comes once we realise that importance isn't related to urgency.
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