Description

this is the abridged audio version of by the author of “7 habits of highly effective people”enjoy!What are the most important things in your life? Do they get as much care, emphasis, and time as you’d like to give them?First Things First A Handbook of Priority Setting in ActionFar from the traditional “be-more-efficient” time-management book with shortcut techniques, First Things First shows you how to look at your use of time totally differently. Using this book will help you create balance between your personal and professional responsibilities by putting first things first and acting on them. In describing what is in effect a life process of principle centered living, they begin with a compelling analogy of the clock and the compass, “Our struggle to put first things first can be characterized by the contrast between two powerful tools that direct us: the clock and the compass. The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities – what we do with, and how we manage our time. The compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction – what we feel is important, and how we lead our lives. The struggle comes when we sense a gap between the clock and the compass – when what we do doesn’t contribute to what is most important in our lives”.It is natural then, to recognize that the starting point must be to connect with one’s vision and mission for life. This leads to a consideration of the different roles that we take on in the pursuit of our mission, and the need to have goals relating to each of these roles if balance is indeed to be achieved.The authors propose that planning be done in a weekly cycle, with the recognition that activities fall into one of the following quadrants:* Quadrant 1 – Important and Urgent* Quadrant 2 – Important but Not Urgent* Quadrant 3 – Not Important and Urgent* Quadrant 4 – Not Important and Not UrgentThey note that most of us spend the majority of our time in Quadrants 1 and 3. However, the quadrant of quality is Quadrant 2 – those things that are important but not necessarily urgent. Examples include planning, preparation, relationship building, clarification of values, prevention activities, etc.Covey and the Merrills go on to discuss “integrity in the moment of choice” in implementing the plan as the critical point on which ultimately quality of life depends. It is the consciousness of the proactive that each is responsible for the freedom that exists in the space between the stimulus and its response.The final part of the book deals with the multiplication of resource and capability that follows out of embracing our interdependence through synergy, relationship building, and the cultivation of agreements with win – win outcomes.Those who are simply seeking time management tips and techniques will come away from First Things First disappointed. This book rather is deep wisdom from the inside out.