
In "Urgent!", productivity expert Dermot Crowley reveals why 40% of Americans experience workday anxiety. Endorsed by thought leader Matt Church as "distinguishing between immediacy and true urgency," this game-changing playbook helps overwhelmed professionals reclaim focus in our notification-obsessed world.
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Imagine working like Dermot Crowley's father did in 1970s Ireland: arriving at 9, taking proper lunch breaks, and leaving at 5 with a clear desk. Unthinkable in today's always-on world, isn't it? We've fallen into what Crowley calls "the urgency trap" - a state where technology has fundamentally altered our relationship with time. Instant communication, global connectivity, and constant accessibility have created a workplace where everything feels urgent, even when it isn't. This isn't just annoying - it's destructive. When 40% of Americans report workplace anxiety and 86% of global leaders struggle to find thinking time, we're not just busy - we're broken. The solution isn't creating more urgency (as many leadership books suggest) but rather distinguishing between productive urgency that creates momentum and the unproductive kind that merely creates stress. The goal is reaching the "Goldilocks zone" of urgency - not too reactive, not too inactive - where our best work happens.