When the non-urgent becomes urgent

Colleagues,

Next week, Pam and I will be heading out on a 77-mile hike of the Foothills Trail. Our equipment doesn’t change much from trip to trip, so our packs are ready. The challenge is the menu. We will be burning a lot of calories and food can be heavy. We’ve never been out for seven days in a row, so planning and preparing our menu feels daunting.
 
I do have a set list of meals to build around, and we picked up some freeze-dried dinners from REI a couple of weeks ago. I have also been doing some reading, so we are making progress.
 
Right now, getting the food ready is important, but not urgent (quadrant 2). I have five days left to fill in the holes. I enjoy the meal planning and, as is often the case when working in quadrant 2, I feel energized after making some progress.
 
That said, if I still have a lot to figure out on Thursday, the task will become urgent in addition to being important. This will bring stress and planning the meals won’t be fun anymore.
 
Sometimes the difference between quadrant 1 and 2 is simply the deadline. The irony is that I will likely invest the same amount of time in the task. If I do it ahead of time, it can energize me. If I wait until the last minute, it stresses me out.
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick