{"id":59423,"date":"2022-02-24T20:22:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T00:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=59423"},"modified":"2022-03-04T10:28:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T14:28:49","slug":"first-things-first-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/first-things-first-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Covey: First Things First\u2014Book Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is Stephen R. Covey’s First Things First<\/em> about? What is the key message to take away from the book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his book First Things First, <\/em>Stephen R. Covey presents a time-management approach that focuses on priorities, or \u201cfirst things.\u201d This approach teaches you to use your time effectively rather than efficiently. Using your time effectively means focusing on what you\u2019re spending your time on, rather than how much time you\u2019re spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a brief overview of the key concepts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Urgency-Importance Matrix<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of Stephen Covey’s book, First Things First<\/em>, is the Urgency-Importance Matrix: A task can be either important, urgent, both, or neither.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cfirst things\u201d method of time management emphasizes important tasks, rather than those that are merely urgent. All our daily, weekly, and monthly activities fall into one of the following four categories, as seen below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td>Urgent<\/strong><\/td>Not Urgent<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Important<\/strong><\/td>Quadrant IUrgent and Important<\/td>Quadrant IINot Urgent, but Important<\/td><\/tr>
Not Important<\/strong><\/td>Quadrant IIIUrgent, but Not Important<\/td>Quadrant IVNeither Urgent nor Important<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Quadrant I<\/strong> is both urgent and important<\/a>. This quadrant contains emergencies and problems that require your immediate attention. This can include health emergencies, a work deadline, or a broken-down car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quadrant II<\/a> <\/strong>is important, but not urgent. This is where you do prevention, maintenance, long-term planning, relationship building, and personal leadership activities like evaluating your thought patterns<\/a> and assessing progress toward goals. For the highest quality of life, Quadrant II is where you should spend most of your time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quadrant III <\/strong>is urgent, but not important. The urgency of Quadrant III activities can make them appear important, but they don\u2019t actually align with your values or contribute to the achievement of your goals. <\/strong>Quadrant-III activities include making phone calls, going to meetings that lack purpose, and receiving unexpected guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quadrant IV <\/strong>is neither urgent nor important. These activities add no value to your life; even recreational activities don\u2019t belong here because true recreation is a restorative and valuable Quadrant-II activity. <\/strong>Quadrant IV includes gossiping, mindlessly watching television, or passively scrolling through social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quadrant-III and Quadrant-IV activities add little value to your life. You should limit time spent in these quadrants. Although Quadrant-I activities are inevitable, you should aim to spend most of your time in Quadrant II. This can be difficult, especially if you\u2019ve spent your life reacting to the urgent business at hand rather than engaging in activities that benefit you in the long run. The first step toward spending more time in Quadrant II is to recognize when urgent tasks are not important and stop wasting your time<\/a> on them. <\/strong>Eventually, you\u2019ll shift to an \u201cimportance paradigm,\u201d a mindset in which you automatically focus on spending your time doing the things that are most important to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shift to an Importance Paradigm <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How do you shift to an important paradigm and start spending your time on activities that align with your goals and values? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three principles that guide your shift to an importance paradigm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. You must fulfill your four human needs and capabilities: <\/strong>to live (the physical realm), to love (the social realm), to learn (the mental realm), to leave a legacy (the spiritual realm). Humans get a sense of fulfillment only through satisfying these four fundamental human needs. Activities that help fulfill these needs are Quadrant-II activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You must understand \u201ctrue north\u201d principles:<\/strong> true north principles<\/a> include integrity, moderation, self-discipline, loyalty, responsibility, honesty, and patience. These are universal principles that give you direction and context for where you are now and how to reach your destination. Activities that align with true north principles are Quadrant-II activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. You must understand the four human endowments<\/a>: <\/strong>These endowments are self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination<\/a>. Activities that nurture these endowments are Quadrant-II activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quadrant-II Scheduling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The heart of First Things First <\/em>is Quadrant-II scheduling. This is a time management system that helps you understand your priorities and spend the majority of your time in Quadrant II, where the most personal and professional growth happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Identify Your Long-Term Vision and Personal Mission<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first, foundational step of this planning process is to identify what\u2019s most important to you<\/a>, what gives your life meaning<\/a>, and what do you want to achieve in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to clarify these priorities, or \u201cfirst things,\u201d is through a personal mission statement<\/a>. This is a written document in which you outline your guiding principles and long-term goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you create a personal mission<\/a> statement, consider the following questions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n