Stop fighting imaginary fires
There’s 2 kinds of emergencies we have to deal with. Real and fake ones.
Real emergencies are real… and have varying levels of importance; there’s nothing else we can say about it. Fake emergencies, however, fall within 2 categories:
- Emergencies we create. Eg. When we feel something should be or should have been done. Often times, no one else is waiting for what you think needs to be accomplished.
- Emergencies imposed on us. Eg. When someone else feels you should be or should have been doing something. This can be a responsibility transfer, the consequence of someone’s self-imposed emergencies or just bad planning.
This last kind of emergency is harder to see because it often looks and feels like a real emergency.
Beware of fake emergencies (and self-imposed stress), it will drain your energy only to make way for the next fake emergency. Protect your time and stress level, learn to say « no ».