Real urgency

Coming back from my time off, I told a colleague how refreshing it was to truly disconnect.

They replied with wisdom we often overlook: “I’m glad you did. Nothing would have warranted you doing work during your time away. All these deadlines are made up; it’s fake urgency.”

Fake urgency.

Those words lingered. They made me ask, “So what’s real urgency?”

We all know it, but sometimes we forget.

Real urgency is the irreplaceable stuff. It’s giving time and undivided attention to family and friends. It’s savoring a walk outside. It’s all the things that will still matter to you years from now — it’s the moments you will cherish.

Responding to work messages might feel pressing in the moment, but will I look back fondly on that choice? Probably not.

But the time I spent with family, the conversations where I was fully present, the walks where I observed the world instead of my screen — that’s priceless.