--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people spend their time on the…" description: "\"Most people spend their time on the 'urgent' rather than on the 'important.'\" — Robert M. Hutchins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/robert-m-hutchins-15892_important_most-people-spend-their-time-on-the-urge_1565299.png" --- # Most people spend their time on the 'urgent' rather than… ![“Most people spend their time on the 'urgent' rather than on the 'important.'” quote by Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/robert-m-hutchins-15892_important_most-people-spend-their-time-on-the-urge_1565299.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/robert-m-hutchins-15892_important_most-people-spend-their-time-on-the-urge_1565299.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/robert-m-hutchins-15892_important_most-people-spend-their-time-on-the-urge_1565299.png) > “Most people spend their time on the 'urgent' rather than on the 'important.'” [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often focus on urgent tasks, neglecting important ones, leading to misaligned priorities. **In simple terms:** Urgent tasks crowd out important work. Key Takeaway Prioritize importance over urgency. Themes time management priorities productivity focus Mood reflective motivational Type practical philosophical When to use this quote - project planning - daily scheduling - career development Key Concepts Pareto principle goal setting self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - What strategies help you distinguish urgency? - How can you protect important work? A Different Perspective Urgent demands can be unavoidable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-us-spend-too-much-time-on-what-is-urgent-and-not-enough-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/most-things-which-are-urgent-are-not-important-and-most-things-which/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [You must distinguish between what is urgent and what is important. You could accomplish all of the urgent things that you desire without accomplishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/you-must-distinguish-between-what-is-urgent-and-what-is-important-you/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [“If you must make your time productive, then begin to view time in its most urgent form; in seconds and in minutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/if-you-must-make-your-time-productive-then-begin-to-view-time-in-its/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Don't let the urgent take the place of the important in your life... When you and I were putting out the fires of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hummel/don-t-let-the-urgent-take-the-place-of-the-important-in-your-life/) Charles Hummel > [“Life should be a continuous balancing act of urgent important priorities, not a fixed set of scales.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/master-del-pe/life-should-be-a-continuous-balancing-act-of-urgent-important/) [Master Del Pe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/master-del-pe/) > [The task of dealing with global warming is urgent and important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/the-task-of-dealing-with-global-warming-is-urgent-and-important/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [People will pay a price for putting political obstruction over progress in a time that is so critical and urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/people-will-pay-a-price-for-putting-political-obstruction-over/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [There should be a period of time during each practice session when you perform. Invite some friends in to your practice room and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-jacobs/there-should-be-a-period-of-time-during-each-practice-session-when/) Arnold Jacobs > [It's very important for me to spend time with my family and my friends and disconnect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/it-s-very-important-for-me-to-spend-time-with-my-family-and-my/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [It's hard no to work, so I find a way to put myself back to work. And I think it's important, in between projects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/it-s-hard-no-to-work-so-i-find-a-way-to-put-myself-back-to-work-and-i/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) > [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) ## More by Robert M. Hutchins > [...the fullest development of the highest powers of men can be achieved only in a world of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-fullest-development-of-the-highest-powers-of-men-can-be-achieved/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The college graduate is presented with a sheepskin to cover his intellectual nakedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-college-graduate-is-presented-with-a-sheepskin-to-cover-his/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The three major administrative problems on a campus are sex for the students, athletics for the alumni, and parking for the faculty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-three-major-administrative-problems-on-a-campus-are-sex-for-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [“To put an end to the spirit of inquiry that has characterized the West it is not necessary to burn the books. All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/to-put-an-end-to-the-spirit-of-inquiry-that-has-characterized-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [When I feel like exercising I just lie down until the feeling goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/when-i-feel-like-exercising-i-just-lie-down-until-the-feeling-goes/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-death-of-democracy-is-not-likely-to-be-an-assassination-from/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [For those who are going to learn from books, learning the art of reading would seem to be indispensable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/for-those-who-are-going-to-learn-from-books-learning-the-art-of/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Nobody can read Freud without realizing that he was the scientific equivalent of another nuisance, George Bernard Shaw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/nobody-can-read-freud-without-realizing-that-he-was-the-scientific/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Mathematics ... is indispensable as an intellectual technique. In many subjects, to think at all is to think like a mathematician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/mathematics-is-indispensable-as-an-intellectual-technique-in-many/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [There is only one justification for universities, as distinguished from trade schools. They must be centers of criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/there-is-only-one-justification-for-universities-as-distinguished/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [When we listen to the radio, look at television and read the newspapers we wonder whether universal education has been the great boon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/when-we-listen-to-the-radio-look-at-television-and-read-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/it-is-not-so-important-to-be-serious-as-it-is-to-be-serious-about-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Whether four years of strenuous attention to football and fraternities is the best preparation for professional work has never been seriously investigated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/whether-four-years-of-strenuous-attention-to-football-and/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The policy of the repression of ideas cannot work and never has worked. The alternative to it is the long difficult road of education.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-policy-of-the-repression-of-ideas-cannot-work-and-never-has/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/education-is-not-to-reform-students-or-amuse-them-or-to-make-them/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) [Explore all 41 Robert M. Hutchins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) ## More Important quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. 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While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [If I had learned how to get along in the quotidian world while keeping up the search for the hidden realm, I might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/if-i-had-learned-how-to-get-along-in-the-quotidian-world-while/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [Modeling is more important than the talking we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-williams/modeling-is-more-important-than-the-talking-we-do/) Wayne Williams > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. 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