Although I’ve been aware of Stephen R. Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” for many years, I am actually reading it for the first time right now.
On the surface, his 7 habits make a lot of sense, but he drills down very deep in the book in a way that causes readers to think deeply about each one.
I’m currently reading about Habit 3 – Put First Things First.
It’s all about prioritizing and managing your life rather than simply reacting to whatever is thrown at you.
It’s so easy in our 24/7 digital world to react versus plan and implement strategically.
We’re always “on” and connected.
We’re always within reach via phone calls, texting, or email.
It takes real discipline to prioritize what matters most and build your schedule around those priorities in the various roles we each operate in.
If you’re unfamiliar with Covey’s “urgent vs important” concepts, here’s an image to give you a snapshot of what he discusses:
Too many people live in Quadrants III and IV, which aren’t important.
Quadrant I must be dealt with, but Quadrant II is where the most effective people operate, which relieves them from the stress of the other three quadrants.
Without going too deep into this right now, I encourage you to think about your schedule and typical activities.
How much time, energy, and resources are you giving to things that are not important?
How much are you giving to the most important, even if they aren’t urgent?
There’s a delicate balance to navigate life and leadership with this mindset and approach.
I encourage you to invest some time to reflect and, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, grab a copy of Covey’s book and take a deeper dive into this topic so you can experience a better personal and professional reality.
Until next time, make today GREAT!
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