[Spending time on things that are not urgent but important] is the heart of effective personal management. It deals with things that are not urgent, but important. It deals with things like building relationships, writing a personal mission statement, long-range planning, exercising, preventive maintenance, preparation--all those things we know we need to do, but seldom get around to doing, because they aren't urgent.

Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People