Stone Wall with Carved Word "No"

How to Say No to the Urgent But Not Important

The urgent and unimportant easily consumes more time than it should. But 5 strategies can help you say the “no” that your “yes” really needs.

July 7, 2025 Â· 6 min Â· J. David Stark
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4 Questions to Help You Know Whether Something Is Important

To start cutting through the clamor of the urgent and discern whether something is actually important, you need to ask these 4 questions.

August 30, 2024 Â· 8 min Â· J. David Stark
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How Do You Know When Something Is Urgent?

The sooner something matters, the greater its urgency. The greater the urgency, the more whatever situation will press upon you.

July 31, 2023 Â· 4 min Â· J. David Stark
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You Need to Decide What Gets Priority, but How?

Deciding what gets priority can be tricky. But a classic decision matrix can bring clarity and guide the kinds of actions you take.

July 24, 2023 Â· 3 min Â· J. David Stark
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Your Research Is Important, but It's Not All-Important

If you never make time for your research, your project will go nowhere. But making time starts with deciding when you won’t do research.

July 17, 2023 Â· 6 min Â· J. David Stark

A Conversation about Essentials

Michele Cushatt, Michael Hyatt, and Greg McKeown discuss “essentialism,” which is about saying “yes” to what matters most.

November 26, 2018 Â· 3 min Â· J. David Stark