Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

Stephen Covey: First Things First—Book Overview

What is Stephen R. Covey’s First Things First about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book First Things First, Stephen R. Covey presents a time-management approach that focuses on priorities, or “first things.” This approach teaches you to use your time effectively rather than efficiently. Using your time effectively means focusing on what you’re spending your time on, rather than how much time you’re spending. Here’s a brief overview of the key concepts.

Why Being Too Honest Isn’t a Good Thing

What are the dangers of being an “open book”—being too honest about your feelings, beliefs, and intentions? How can excessive honesty work against you? People tend to be “open books” because talking about feelings and intentions comes naturally. There are two reasons for that: 1) watching your mouth — monitoring and controlling what you say—takes effort, and 2) they believe honesty and openness will win people over. Here’s how being too honest can work against you.

Urgency Addiction: The Modern Dilemma

Have you ever been faced with a crisis, come up with a solution, and felt that incredible sense of success and relief? How does a sense of urgency create a false sense of accomplishment? Although urgent situations are stressful, resolving them creates a high that you can become addicted to. However, urgency addiction is a self-destructive habit that only temporarily fills a void, whether it be the lack of a larger purpose or a desire for a sense of achievement. Here’s why handling urgency is so addictive, according to Stephen Covey.

How to Use Honesty as a Manipulation Technique

Can honesty be manipulative? How can you use honesty to manipulate others? One of the most effective manipulation techniques is to surprise your target with honesty or generosity. This approach disarms people by allaying suspicions and bringing out their inner child—they respond with eager, childlike gratitude. You, too, can use honesty and generosity to disarm and distract others from your schemes. Here’s how honesty can be used as a manipulation tool.

The 4 Time Management Quadrants: Explained

What are the four quadrants of time management? What quadrant is the most important? There are four time management quadrants. Quadrant I is both urgent and important. Quadrant II is important, but not urgent. Quadrant III is urgent, but not important. And Quadrant IV is neither urgent nor important. According to Stephen Covey, you should focus most of your time in Quadrant II—where you do activities that are important, but not urgent. Keep reading to learn about Stephen Covey’s time management quadrants, and why you should shift your focus to Quadrant II.

How to Know Your Enemy: Be a Spy, But Act as a Friend

Why do they say “know your enemies”? How does knowing your enemy help you get the upper hand over your opponent? Knowing your enemies is essential to wielding power. When you know your opponent’s secrets, you can predict his behavior and control him. You can enlist spies to gather intelligence for you, but it’s better to be a spy yourself. Adopt a friendly manner and you’ll get people to spill their plans and weaknesses. Here’s why and how to know your enemy.

How to Plan Your Week for Maximum Effectiveness

Do you plan your weeks in advance? What activities take precedence as you design your week? A week encompasses a natural balance of life: It includes work or school days, evenings, and weekends. Weekly planning is a balanced compromise between daily and long-term planning. It connects a bigger-picture perspective with day-to-day actionables. Here’s how to plan your week for maximum effectiveness.

Are We Living in a Quick-Fix Society?

Do you tend to rely on quick fixes when faced with a problem? Or do you try to root out the core, underlying issue? There’s little argument that we live in a quick-fix society focused on attaining immediate results at the expense of future losses. We’d rather take a pill to avoid the pain now than put efforts towards identifying and rooting out its underlying cause. While quick-fix solutions are alluring and convenient, they don’t solve the underlying problem. Further, they often exacerbate it in the long term. Keep reading to learn about the dangers of relying on quick fixes.

The Secret to Finding Balance in Life

Do you often feel like you’re being pulled in different directions but don’t have the time and/or energy to attend to everything? What is the key to finding balance in life? Most people’s biggest source of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in life is the imbalance they feel between their different roles and responsibilities. Many people feel their work demands so much of them that there aren’t enough hours in the day to give adequate time, energy, and attention to their families. Or they’re just barely keeping up with family and work, but have no personal time for their own rest and

Asking for Feedback: Do It in Spite of Discomfort

How do you approach feedback? Do you tend to get defensive when someone pinpoints the flaws in your performance? Why is it important to seek feedback? Asking for feedback from others increases your accountability, although praise and criticism from others is not the primary way you should determine if you’re doing your job well or not. In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey recommends the “continue/stop/start” method for requesting feedback about your performance. Learn about the importance of seeking feedback and how to go about it.