Addicted to Urgency
It’s referred to as firefighting.
The exhausting exhilaration of handling problems…Now! Now! Now!
An affinity for these adrenaline-rushed results is what keeps us addicted to urgency.
Detoxing from this reactive mode requires commitment and discipline.
When I was young, we had a reoccurring problem in our yard…dandelions. My dad handed my brother and I a tool, a stack of grocery bags, and orders to, “Get all the roots.”
While digging up our dandelions one root at a time, we silently envied our neighbor mowing down his dandelions one row at a time.
This cruel and unusual punishment was an annual event. Over time, our work got easier and went faster. Eventually...our tedious efforts were no longer required. We had broken the cycle of our problem.
Just over the hedge, our neighbor was still mowing down his dandelions one row at a time.
What seemed efficient in the short-term wasn’t effective in the long-run.
Perhaps it’s time to stop mowing down your problems and start digging up what’s causing them.
Name the reoccurring problem/challenge/frustration in your work, or personal life. Do the intentional work of resolving the root cause instead of fighting the symptoms.
Trade in your short-term fix for a long-term resolution.