Most 'Urgent' Decisions Aren't

"I need an answer by end of day." "This offer expires tomorrow." "We need to move fast on this."

Urgency is often manufactured. Recognizing when it's real—and when it's not—is a decision-making superpower.

Why False Urgency Works

Pressure short-circuits deliberation. When we feel rushed, we skip the slow thinking that catches problems. We go with gut reactions that may be based on fear or excitement rather than analysis.

Salespeople know this. Employers know this. Sometimes our own anxiety creates false urgency where none exists.

The result: decisions we'd make differently if we gave ourselves time.

Real vs. Manufactured Urgency

Real urgency has external, verifiable deadlines:

• A medical emergency requiring immediate action
• A genuine business deadline with clear consequences
• A time-sensitive opportunity with confirmed expiration

Manufactured urgency is pressure without substance:

• "We need to fill this role fast" (but the role has been open for months)
• "This sale ends tonight" (but there will be another sale next week)
• "I need to decide now" (but nothing actually changes if you wait a day)

Ask: "What actually happens if I take 24 more hours?" If the honest answer is "nothing much," the urgency is artificial.

The 24-Hour Test

For any decision that feels urgent but isn't life-or-death, try this: tell whoever is pressuring you (including yourself) that you'll have an answer in 24 hours.

If they genuinely can't wait, maybe it's real urgency. If they push back but ultimately accept, it wasn't as urgent as presented.

More importantly: you'll make a better decision with a night's sleep and some distance from the pressure.

When You're Creating Your Own Urgency

Sometimes the pressure comes from inside. You want to get this off your plate. The uncertainty is uncomfortable. Deciding—even badly—feels better than waiting.

This is understandable. It's also often counterproductive.

If you're rushing yourself without external deadlines, pause and ask why. Is speed actually serving you, or are you just avoiding the discomfort of uncertainty?

Legitimate Speed

None of this means you should deliberate endlessly. For small, reversible decisions, speed is a virtue. For true opportunities that won't wait, decisiveness matters.

The skill is distinguishing between:

• Decisions that genuinely require speed
• Decisions where you're being pressured artificially
• Decisions where you're pressuring yourself unnecessarily

Taking Back Your Time

You have more control over timing than you think. "I need to think about this" is almost always an acceptable answer. People who genuinely can't wait will tell you. People who are pressuring you artificially will accept the delay.

Protect your decision-making process from false urgency. The few times you miss out will be vastly outweighed by the many times you avoid bad choices made under manufactured pressure.