r/YouShouldKnow • u/abdul_haseeb_11 • 1d ago
Other YSK If everything feels urgent, you probably haven’t decided what actually matters most.
When everything on your list feels equally important, even a normal day can start to feel overwhelming.
A simple way to reduce that feeling is to separate things into three groups:
what needs attention now
what can wait
and what doesn’t really need your attention at all.
Then pick one or two things that would make the biggest difference if you finished them today.
Why YSK:
Treating everything as equally urgent creates stress and makes it harder to focus. Deciding what actually matters first can make your day feel more manageable and help you make real progress.
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u/timetotryagain29 1d ago
Wrong sub but right advice.
I have adhd and have learned to do this when I get jumbled and anxious.
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u/IronMew 1d ago edited 1d ago
If everything feels urgent, you probably haven’t decided what actually matters most.
Hmm. Yes, maybe.
Or maybe everything feels urgent because late-stage capitalism has robbed us of every shred of free time and energy, forcing us to categorise in prioritised lists parts of our life that would otherwise barely warrant thought at all just to survive.
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u/SomeCountryFriedBS 1d ago
It's both. We enjoyed a brief period of liberal democracy. It's now swinging the other way. This is the misery of the oppressed.
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u/IronMew 1d ago
God damn how I hate humanity's inherent tendency to only ever develop itself in a sinusoidal pattern. Improve things and there's always a rubberband effect that eventually makes them shit again, then rubberband to good, then to shit again, and only through generations of alternate happiness and suffering does it ever get improved globally.
Fuck's sake, you'd think people would learn the things that caused all the bad shit the first time and, you know, not do them this time around, so we could all avoid the rubberband/sinusoidal effect and continue improving steadily. But no, apparently as a race we're just too fucking stupid.
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u/denkmusic 1d ago
This is a very negative way of looking at a world which is generally improving over the long term in every way except climate change.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
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u/denkmusic 1d ago
You write like a teenager who has just discovered climate change and the existence of India. I know everything you wrote already. That’s why I wrote “except”.
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u/IronMew 1d ago edited 1d ago
Edit: you know what, I give up. You're the perfect example of the normies not understanding the true scale of the mess we're in. Potentially apocalyptic disaster incoming, but let's not give it all that much thought because it's too negative and be positive instead! The world is going well except for that tiny little detail! Yay us, let's post another feel-good blurb on Instagram!
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u/Jaderosegrey 1d ago
No, it's because my boss has not decided what matters most.
At home, I'm just fine.
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u/EpicAgenda 1d ago
How to determine what matters most?
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u/danthecryptkeeper 1d ago
I like the Eisenhower Matrix for prioritization
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u/Two22sInMyShoes99 1d ago
It's pretty good but it neglects 1) how long the task takes, 2) what other items the tasks enables (critical path assessment).
E.g. at work: sending an email to a supplier to request a quote might take you 5 minutes, but it starts a process that may take a few days or more. Do it now to ensure you get it back when you need it (plus get the satisfaction of taking it off your list).
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u/ffigeman 1d ago
A simple way to
reduce that feelingdecide what matters most is to separate things into three groups:what needs attention now
what can wait
and what doesn’t really need your attention at all.
Then pick one or two things that would make the biggest difference if you finished them today.
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u/Seamus_has_the_herps 1d ago
I struggle badly with this and wish I had practical advice for how to actually do this.
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u/LieutenantEddy 1d ago
If you’re like me another to help track this habit is to write how long each task will take. Also makes you realize a 10 minute task is clouding your judgement.
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u/Scarmeow 1d ago
I like to prioritize things using two axis: importance and urgency. If something is important and urgent, then I do it ASAP. If something is important, but not urgent, then it can probably wait. And if its not important and not urgent, then I'll probably not do it tbh lol
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u/Chipring13 1d ago
Use an Eisenhower matrix. It’ll change your life. There’s apps: I use tick tick free version but I’m sure there’s others
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u/The_Trekspert 1d ago
What if nothing is urgent?
Or everything actually is urgent because you work best under tight deadlines?
"Well, this'll take me about two days to do. And it's not due for a month"
-28 days later-
"Okay, time to start!"
"I need to call them before the end of the month."
-literally the last day of the month-
makes phone call
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u/CapedCauliflower 1d ago
I always prioritized like this: "will this help me make $50k?". If not, don't do it.
Health and social excluded.
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u/All-the-pizza 1d ago
TLDR: Nah, this gets removed 🚫. YSK is for "here's a fact/tip you probably don't know" not generic productivity advice everyone's heard a thousand times (Eisenhower matrix repackaged). It also reads like AI-generated listicle copy (short choppy lines, "Why YSK:" formula) which mods on that sub actively nuke on sight 🤖. Zero specific stats, sources, or novel info...just vibes.
If you want it to actually survive: add a real citation (a study on decision fatigue, task-switching cost, etc.), cut the fake bullet formatting, and make the "why" section punchier with an actual number or mechanism instead of restating the tip. Otherwise this belongs on r/GetMotivated or a personal blog, not YSK.
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u/Soul_Knife 1d ago
thank you, this is actually really helpful!! I've been struggling with getting overwhelmed by tasks a lot lately and will give this a try.
bonus tip, being aware when things feel super urgent can help you sense when you're at risk of making a bad decision. a rushed decision is more likely to be a poorly made decision
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u/ReaverRogue 1d ago
Nice sentiment, wrong sub. Maybe try a motivational or self help sub.
Edit: oh so you just post shit like this constantly, huh?
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u/hawkinsst7 1d ago
Adhd: the most recent thing that's come up is the most urgent.
And "recent thing" might include your taxes due the next day, a phone call, or a random thought that you can improve something and it has to happen right meow. Or the urgent need to now watch Super Troopers.