Essay: The importance of having a sense of urgency

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“Speed is the essence of war.” - Sun Tzu

Urgency theory is a "psychological and behavioral framework that explains how perceived urgency influences human decision-making, motivation, and action. It posits that people are more likely to act quickly and decisively when a situation feels time-sensitive, high-stakes, or irreversible—even if the actual deadline or risk is artificial or exaggerated.[1]

Urgency is one of the defining characteristics of success, progress, and transformation. It is the inner drive that pushes individuals, organizations, and societies to act decisively, pursue goals with intensity, and turn aspirations into results. Without urgency, even the best ideas and intentions remain unrealized. In a world defined by rapid change, limited time, and growing competition, cultivating a sense of urgency has never been more essential.

As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, “Speed is the essence of war.” In life, as in competition, decisive and rapid action often determines the difference between failure and triumph.

Urgency as a Catalyst for Action

At its core, urgency is about movement — a refusal to wait when action is required. The difference between those who succeed and those who fall short is often not intelligence, opportunity, or resources, but the speed and determination with which they act. Leadership scholar Dr. John Kotter emphasizes that establishing a sense of urgency is the first step in any successful transformation. Without it, initiatives stagnate, energy dissipates, and progress fades.

George S. Patton famously said, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” This idea underscores the value of rapid, decisive action over hesitation — a principle that applies to both personal growth and organizational success.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, similarly notes, “Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible; we can learn fast and iterate.” Across history, industry, and personal development, the lesson is consistent: acting with urgency multiplies results.

Urgency and Personal Transformation

Many individuals have lofty ambitions — to start a business, change careers, get fit, or develop a skill — but delay action until conditions are “perfect.” The truth is, perfect conditions rarely exist. Waiting is the surest way to fail. The time to act is now.

Research shows that only about 8% of people succeed in keeping their New Year’s resolutions for an entire year, meaning that 92% fail in their attempt at personal transformation. Chronic procrastination affects around 20% of adults, often due to fear, perfectionism, or lack of clear motivation. Urgency cuts through fear. Urgency shatters hesitation. Urgency propels you forward, even when doubt whispers “wait.”

Urgency reframes time as a finite, non-renewable resource. Every moment wasted is opportunity lost. Every action taken is momentum gained.

The urgency and passion feedback loop

See also: Passion and Urgency theory and Visualization and Goal setting and Purpose and Questioning skills and Inspiration and Emotional intelligence

Urgency not only initiates action but also amplifies passion, creating a reinforcing feedback loop. When you act with urgency, quick progress and small wins fuel excitement and motivation, intensifying passion. This heightened passion, in turn, drives further urgency, making action feel compelling and unstoppable. The chart below visualizes this cycle, showing how urgency and passion rise together over time, with milestones (e.g., small wins) boosting both.[2]

More detailed explanation: The urgency and passion feedback loop is a psychological and behavioral dynamic in which urgency fuels passion, and passion, in turn, sustains or amplifies urgency — creating a self-reinforcing cycle that can either drive peak performance or lead to burnout, depending on how it’s managed.

Urgency alone is sometimes not enough — especially for important, difficult and time-sensitive tasks. It must be fueled by passion. Passion is the emotional energy that transforms effort into relentless action.[3]

Articles:



The Urgency-Passion Feedback Loop


This feedback loop aligns with goal-setting theory, which shows that specific, challenging goals enhance motivation and performance (Locke & Latham, 2002). By combining urgency with passion, hesitation fades, and progress becomes inevitable.[4]



Here are a few ways to ignite and amplify your passion:[5]

  • Visualize your goal vividly: Imagine the results, the impact, and the feeling of success. Make it real in your mind.
  • Connect to your “why”: Link your actions to something deeply meaningful — purpose drives speed.
  • Set small, rapid milestones: Momentum builds excitement. Each success creates energy to push forward.
  • Engage your body: Physical activity, even brief bursts of exercise, increases energy and motivation.
  • Surround yourself with inspiration: Read, listen, or watch stories of people who achieved extraordinary results.
  • When urgency meets passion, hesitation disappears. Momentum becomes unstoppable. What once felt impossible suddenly feels inevitable.

This feedback loop aligns with goal-setting theory, which shows that specific, challenging goals enhance motivation and performance (Locke & Latham, 2002). By combining urgency with passion, hesitation fades, and progress becomes inevitable.[6]

Importance of why when it comes to motivation and purpose

Urgency and High Achievement — The “Miracle on Ice” Example

Coach Herb Brooks

Few examples capture the power of urgency better than the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. Coached by Herb Brooks, the team faced an almost impossible challenge: to defeat the dominant Soviet Union team, which had won five of the previous six Olympic gold medals and was widely regarded as the greatest hockey team in the world.

Brooks realized that traditional American hockey could not compete with the speed, creativity, and discipline of the Soviets. As depicted in the film Miracle (2004), he told his players:

“The only way we can compete with the Eastern Bloc teams is if we're willing to change. Change the way we train, the way we prepare, even change our schedule. I think we need to make it longer. Tougher. Much more competitive. We also need to change the way we play the game — adopt a new style, a hybrid of the Soviet school and the Canadian school.”

Historically, he adopted a hybrid style, blending the fluidity and conditioning of the Soviet game with the toughness and checking of the North American approach. To master this in time for the Olympics, his young American players — mostly college students — had only about five to six months to prepare. During that short window, they played 61 exhibition games, trained relentlessly, and learned to play a completely new system.

By contrast, the Soviet team had trained and competed together for years, often full-time under a centralized sports system. They had unmatched chemistry, experience, and coordination. The U.S. team, by comparison, was a group of new faces learning to fight giants — and yet, urgency, discipline, and belief would make them unstoppable.

That disparity wasn’t just a challenge — it was a call to greatness! Brooks’s players had to transform faster, sharper, stronger than any opponent. Every single day of preparation demanded everything they had. Every practice burned into their muscles, minds, and hearts. Delay was not an option. Victory required all-in commitment. The result — a 4–3 victory over the Soviets, the “Miracle on Ice” — was not just a triumph of skill or strategy, but a triumph of urgency and belief.

Urgency and Radical Personal Transformation — The Story of Van Mueller

Van Mulleur sale performance as an insurance salesperson.

See also: Sales and Sales training

A second, highly instructive example comes from Van Mueller, a life insurance agent who struggled for 16 years due to a poor attitude and consistently failing performance. After being fired, Van made a radical decision: he contacted his company’s sales trainer and committed to following every piece of advice, executing fully without excuses.

His results were extraordinary:

Year 1: Achieved the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).

Year 2: Qualified for the Court of the Table.

Year 3: Reached Top of the Table, which he maintained for 26 years.

To put this in perspective, qualifying for MDRT and especially Top of the Table requires high levels of production:

MDRT: ~$81,000 in annual commissions or ~$162,000 in premiums.

Court of the Table: ~$243,000 in commissions or ~$486,000 in premiums.

Top of the Table: ~$486,000 in commissions or ~$972,000 in premiums.

Van’s transformation was driven by extreme urgency and disciplined action:

High Activity: 30–50 appointments per week.

High Volume Production: 900–1,100 life and annuity policies per year.

Positioning as an Educator: Public presentations at libraries, civic groups, and community centers that were educational, not salesy, increasing appointment acceptance.

High-Volume Outreach: Daily phone calls, handwritten notes, emails, and personal visits ensured his calendar remained full.

Van Mueller’s story proves that urgency can turn long-term failure into unstoppable success. The fire in his actions ignited results that most people never even imagine.

Urgency and Transformational Impact — St. Paul and the Early Church

St. Paul defends his preaching (Giovanni Ricco)

See also: Historical examples of the exponential growth of Christianity

On a grander historical scale, urgency and decisive action can transform the world itself. Saint Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."

Paul’s transformation — from persecutor of Christians to one of the faith’s greatest evangelists — catalyzed the early Church. Within roughly 30 years, Christianity expanded from a small group in Jerusalem to thriving communities across the Roman Empire. This explosive growth reshaped Western morality, ethics, law, education, and culture — and even set the stage for the Scientific Revolution.

Urgency in action — decisively spreading his message and establishing churches — allowed Paul to create a legacy that changed civilizations. His example proves that focused, purposeful speed can amplify impact far beyond the individual, touching the course of history itself.

Urgency as a Model for Personal Transformation

See also: Goal setting and Discipline and Willpower and Self-control and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience and Creativity and Creative problem solving and Cognitive flexibility

Whether in sports, business, personal life, or history, success depends on acting with urgency: changing how you train, prepare, and think.

Urgency creates conditions for accelerated growth:

  • Time-bound structure increases accountability and focus. See: Goal setting
  • Intensity builds capability faster through concentrated effort. See: Focus and Concentration

Those who embrace urgency don’t wait for motivation — they seize it, chase it, and make it unstoppable.

Balancing Urgency and Sustainability

However, urgency must be guided by purpose and balance. Frantic busyness without direction leads to burnout, not progress. True urgency is not panic — it is purpose-driven speed. Act fast, but act smart. Every moment counts, and every choice matters.

Building a Healthy Sense of Urgency

A cheetah pursuing a gazelle with a sense of purpose and urgency.

True urgency is not panic. It’s purpose in motion.

Here’s how to cultivate urgency that fuels rather than drains:

1. Create meaningful deadlines

Don’t rely on external pressure. Instead, set self-imposed deadlines linked to purpose and impact. When a timeline feels meaningful rather than arbitrary, it inspires rather than intimidates.

2. Chunk large goals into urgent milestones

Break big projects into smaller, time-bound tasks. Each milestone should feel slightly urgent — achievable within a few days or weeks. This maintains momentum and gives regular hits of accomplishment.

3. Use the “Now vs. Later” filter

Before starting any task, ask:

“What will move the needle today?” This question creates a bias toward action and helps fight the illusion that more time equals better results.

4. Trigger the energy of deadlines without stress

Simulate urgency through structured timeboxing — commit to 25-, 50-, or 90-minute focused sessions (Pomodoro or flow cycles). You’ll feel the psychological “tick of the clock” while staying calm and in control.

5. Celebrate Small Wins

Urgency works best when paired with reward. Recognize progress to sustain enthusiasm and prevent urgency fatigue.

The link between urgency and achievement

See also: Motivation and Self-motivation and Time management and Prioritization and Creativity

Urgency and achievement are tightly linked through motivation, focus, and momentum, but the relationship is nuanced — urgency can be a powerful accelerator or a destructive force depending on how it's managed. Here's a breakdown of the connection, backed by psychology, productivity research, and real-world examples:

1. Urgency Drives Action (The Motivation Spark)

Parkinson’s Law: "Work expands to fill the time available for its completion." → Tight deadlines force efficiency. A task given 1 week often takes 1 week; the same task with a 2-day deadline gets done in 2 days. Yerkes-Dodson Law (Psychology): Moderate stress/arousal improves performance. Urgency creates just enough pressure to sharpen focus without overwhelming.

Example: Students cramming before exams often produce high-quality work in hours that would take weeks without a deadline.

2. Urgency Prioritizes Choices and the Ruthless Management of Resources

When time is scarce, trivial tasks get cut. You focus only on high-impact actions. See: Time management and Prioritization

Eisenhower Matrix in overdrive: Urgent + Important = Done now. Everything else = delegated or deleted.

Example: Elon Musk’s “first principles” + extreme deadlines (e.g., SpaceX’s 2018 Falcon Heavy launch) forced teams to solve impossible problems fast.

3. Urgency Builds Momentum (The Compound Effect)

Small wins under pressure create dopamine loops → more energy → faster progress.

Achievers like athletes (4th-quarter comebacks) or writers (NaNoWriMo) use artificial urgency to enter flow states.

4. The Dark Side: False Urgency Burns Out

Chronic urgency (always firefighting) leads to:

- Poor decision making

- Lower creativity

- Burnout (cortisol overload)

Example: Startups that live in perpetual “launch week” mode often collapse after 18 months.

Having a sense of urgency is crucial for high achievement and maximal success

See also: Achievement orientation

In every field — business, sports, education, or personal growth — one quality consistently separates high achievers from the rest: a sense of urgency. It’s the invisible force that drives people to act decisively, move quickly, and make the most of every opportunity. Without it, even the most talented individuals risk falling behind. With it, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results.

Why Urgency Drives High Achievement

1. Momentum Creates Opportunity Success often comes to those who move first. Acting with urgency builds momentum — a vital ingredient in innovation and progress. When you make fast, smart decisions, you open doors that hesitation would have kept closed.

2. It Builds Discipline and Focus

3. Urgency eliminates procrastination. When you approach each day knowing that time is precious, you naturally prioritize what truly matters. You stop wasting hours on distractions and start directing energy toward meaningful action.

4. Speed Enhances Learning

Those who move quickly fail and learn faster. Every attempt — whether successful or not — provides valuable feedback. With urgency, you accelerate your learning curve and become more adaptable to change. See: Growth mindset and Change management

5. It Inspires Others

Teams and organizations thrive when leaders model urgency. A fast-paced, purpose-driven environment motivates others to match the same level of intensity and commitment, fostering a culture of excellence.

The benefits of having a sense of urgency

The benefits of having a sense of urgency include:[7][8][9]

Productivity is the ratio of output (goods and services) produced per unit of input (productive resources) over some period of time.

Having a sense of urgency — the mindset that important actions should be taken quickly and decisively — can offer several meaningful benefits in both personal and professional life. Here are the main ways it can help:

⚡ 1. Increased Productivity A sense of urgency pushes you to act promptly rather than procrastinate.

It helps you focus on what truly matters and manage your time effectively.

You’re more likely to complete tasks efficiently and meet deadlines. See: Productivity

🎯 2. Sharper Focus and Prioritization When you operate with urgency, you become more conscious of how you spend your time.

It forces you to distinguish between what’s important versus what’s merely urgent.

You make faster decisions and avoid getting lost in unproductive details.

🚀 3. Faster Progress Toward Goals Urgency accelerates momentum — you don’t wait for “the perfect time” to start.

This consistent forward movement leads to tangible progress and builds confidence.

Over time, this compounding action can lead to significant personal or career growth.

💡 4. Greater Initiative and Leadership People with urgency tend to take ownership rather than wait for others to act. See: Leadership

In teams, this energy can be contagious, inspiring others to move with purpose.

Usain Bolt avoids thinking about his weaknesses before a race. Sometimes he thinks about how he will celebrate if he wins.[10] See: Self-talk

Usain Bolt beating Tyson Gay and setting a 100 meter world record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany.

Leaders who model urgency create a culture of accountability and drive.

⏰ 5. Better Adaptability in Fast-Paced Environments In modern life and work, situations change rapidly. See: Cognitive flexibility and Creativity and Creative problem solving

A sense of urgency helps you respond swiftly to new challenges or opportunities.

It keeps you agile and competitive in evolving conditions.

🧠 6. Strengthened Discipline and Self-Motivation Urgency requires mental discipline: setting deadlines, pushing through discomfort, and finishing what you start. See: Self-motivation

Over time, it builds resilience and a bias toward action instead of hesitation.

❤️ 7. More Fulfillment and Purpose When you treat time as valuable, you live more intentionally. See: Purpose

A healthy sense of urgency can make life feel more meaningful — you use each day well instead of drifting.

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Fuel passion by connecting tasks to personal values, interests, or goals.

An effective urgency-passion feedback loop can lead to increased innovation, efficiency, and overall morale.

This self-reinforcing cycle accelerates performance but risks burnout if unchecked.

Urgency and passion feedback loop in organizations

When ideas or initiatives are met with swift attention and action (urgency), people feel valued and their passion is supported, making them more likely to stay motivated and contribute enthusiastically. This supportive environment, filled with high energy and commitment, further stokes urgency so tasks don't stall and the team maintains a forward drive, preventing inertia or loss of enthusiasm.

How the Feedback Loop Works A strong sense of urgency keeps ideas and projects moving, directly fueling individuals' passion and sense of engagement.​

When people see their passion is taken seriously and acted upon quickly, their motivation is reinforced, creating a loop that maintains or increases their future urgency and initiative toward goals.​

This loop is powerful for organizations, as it accelerates progress and fosters a dynamic, energetic workplace culture—provided urgency doesn't cross into chronic stress or burnout.

Why Having a Sense of Urgency Matters

Prevents complacency: A persistent sense of urgency stops individuals and organizations from becoming too comfortable with the status quo, driving continuous improvement and change.​

Drives organizational change: Effective change within organizations requires a widely shared sense of urgency to gain cooperation and move initiatives forward.​

Supports planning and reputation: A culture of urgency encourages better long-term planning and builds a reputation for reliability and responsiveness.​

Purpose Beyond Speed

It's important to note that a sense of urgency isn’t just about moving faster; it emphasizes purposeful action focused on what matters most, balancing speed with quality for sustainable results.​

Developing a greater sense of urgency

Developing a healthy sense of urgency is all about acting with focus and momentum without tipping into stress, panic, or burnout. Here’s a structured approach to cultivate it:

"I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

1. Clarify Your Goals

Know what matters most. Urgency works best when directed at meaningful priorities.

Write down your top 3–5 goals for the day, week, or month.

When your actions align with clear goals, urgency becomes purposeful rather than frantic.

2. Break Tasks Into Actionable Steps

Large tasks can feel overwhelming and paralyze urgency.

Divide big goals into small, actionable steps that you can complete in a short time.

Example: Instead of “finish report,” break it into “draft outline,” “gather data,” “write introduction,” etc.

3. Set Deadlines and Micro-Deadlines

Even self-imposed deadlines create accountability.

Use time blocks or “Pomodoro” sessions to force short bursts of focused action.

Seeing a clock or timer adds a natural push without feeling pressured constantly.

4. Prioritize the High-Impact Tasks

Ask: “If I only completed one thing today, what would move the needle the most?”

Urgency is most effective when focused on tasks that truly matter, not just busywork.

5. Adopt a “Bias Toward Action” Mindset Take the first small step immediately, even if it’s imperfect.

Momentum builds confidence and reduces procrastination.

Remember: speed of action is often more important than perfection at first.

6. Minimize Distractions

Urgency falters when constantly interrupted.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." - Proverb

See also: Self-care

Turn off notifications, batch tasks, or create focused work periods.

The faster you can engage in deep work, the stronger your productive urgency becomes.

7. Review and Adjust Regularly

End each day or week by asking:

What did I accomplish quickly?

Where did I stall?

How can I act more efficiently tomorrow?

Reflection keeps urgency strategic instead of reactive.

8. Balance Action with Self-Care

Healthy urgency requires energy: sleep, breaks, and stress management are essential.

Rushing without replenishment leads to burnout — which kills productivity and motivation. See: Self-care and Self-compassion

9. Celebrate Quick Wins

Every time you act decisively or complete a task efficiently, acknowledge it.

Positive reinforcement strengthens the habit of moving with purpose.

💡 Key Insight: Healthy urgency = focused, deliberate action + timely execution, not frantic rushing. It’s a muscle you build gradually.

Big picture perspective: How to Develop a Sense of Urgency

1. Set clear goals: Define what success looks like and establish deadlines that push you to move. See: Goal setting

2. Adopt a “now” mindset: When a task matters, do it immediately instead of delaying it. See: Mindset

3. Limit distractions: Remove time-wasters that drain focus and energy. See: Concentration (psychology) and Focus

4. Measure your progress daily, weekly, month, yearly and in the long term: Review what you accomplished and where you hesitated — then act to improve tomorrow.

Balancing Urgency and Quality

The phrase "Plan, Do, Check, Act" (PDCA) refers to a cyclical problem-solving and continuous improvement model. It is commonly referred to by the names of PDCA/Deming cycle/Shewhart cycle.

See also: Kaizen and PDCA

While urgency fuels progress, it must be paired with clarity and precision. Acting fast without thinking leads to mistakes; thinking too long without acting leads to missed opportunities. The key is to find the sweet spot — moving swiftly while maintaining high standards.

Quotes

  • "See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." - Jesus Christ, Revelation 22:7 (NRSV)
  • "There is no tomorrow!" - Apollo Creed, Rocky III (1982)

Conclusion

In the pursuit of personal growth, excellence, and transformation, urgency is not optional — it is the engine of achievement. From the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team to Van Mueller, and St. Paul, history shows that rapid, decisive action can turn failure into success and small beginnings into transformative, world-changing outcomes.

As Seneca wrote, “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” As Sun Tzu emphasized, “Speed is the essence of war.” Patton reminds us, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” And Jeff Bezos advises, “Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible; we can learn fast and iterate.”

Urgency ensures that we do not waste the time and opportunities we are given. It propels us beyond hesitation, beyond limits, and into extraordinary transformation — for individuals, organizations, and even entire civilizations.

See also

External links

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Nothing moves faster than a passionate and goal-oriented person intensely pursuing a goal with great urgency.

References

  1. ↑ What is urgency theory?
  2. ↑ The Importance of Urgency
  3. ↑ The Importance of Urgency
  4. ↑ The Importance of Urgency
  5. ↑ The Importance of Urgency
  6. ↑ The Importance of Urgency
  7. ↑ What are the ways that having a sense of urgency can benefit a person?
  8. ↑ What are the ways that having a sense of urgency can benefit a person?
  9. ↑ Benefits of having a sense of urgency
  10. ↑ How the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt mentally prepares for a race CNBC
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