First Things First

“First Things First” is a revolutionary guide to managing your time by learning how to balance your life. Traditional time management suggests that working harder, smarter, and faster will help you gain control over your life, and that increased control will bring peace and fulfillment. But with the first real breakthrough in time management in years, the authors of “First Things First” apply the insights of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” to our daily problems of struggling with the ever-increasing demands of work and home life. Rather than focus on time and things, “First Things First” emphasizes relationships and results. And instead of efficiency, this new approach emphasizes effectiveness. Offering a principle-centered approach and the wisdom and insight that made “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” a #1 bestseller, “First Things First” empowers listeners to define what is truly important; to accomplish worthwhile goals; and to lead rich, rewarding and balanced lives.
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? Far 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. Covey teaches an organizing process that helps you categorize tasks so you focus on what is important, not merely what is urgent. First you divide tasks into these quadrants:

1. Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects)
2. Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships)
3. Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters)
4. Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters)

Most people spend most of their time in quadrants 1 and 3, while quadrant 2 is where quality happens. “Doing more things faster is no substitute for doing the right things,” says Covey. He points you toward the real human needs–“to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy”–and how to balance your time to achieve a meaningful life, not just get things done. –Joan Price
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