How deadlines thwart our ability to do important work (and what we can do about it)

“Suppose you have two tasks before you.

One isn’t that important but needs to be done quickly. The other is important but isn’t urgent.

Often, people will choose against their self-interest to do the urgent but less important task, a new study has demonstrated. What’s more, the busier and more overwhelmed you feel, the more likely you are to pick the urgent task.