Put First Things First - Habit #3 of Highly Effective People
Put First Things First - Habit #3
As a continuation of my Summer Series on effectiveness, today we are covering Habit #3 from Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Put First Things First. "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." ~Goethe
Most of know this intellectually, but many of us fail to put it into practice. Let's find out how to put first things first:
What is most important to you?
How many times have you prioritized a bunch of smaller, less meaningful tasks and saved the most important task for last, only to have something else come up and derail your plans?
Like, I don't know.... working out? Or that sales call you want to be fully prepared for? Or the research that will help you go faster? Or the tough conversation with a colleague or family member?
Procrastination is, I mean WAS (see that reframe?) my calling card - but it was well disguised because it wasn't like I was doing nothing - I was doing a whole bunch of things! Just not that one really important thing that I saved for "later".
This led to stress, things hanging over my head, and being less effective than I could have been. But now that I am clear on what is most important to me, it is easier for me to schedule the most important things first - essentially putting first things first on a daily (or at least weekly) basis.
Take a moment to write down a short answer to the following two questions (directly from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People):
What one thing could you do (something you aren't doing now) that, if you did it on a regular basis, would make a tremendous positive difference in your personal life?
What one thing in your business or professional life would bring similar results?
You need to figure out what is most important to you FIRST, and then find ways to execute on those items.
Effective management is putting first things first. While leadership decides what "first things" are, it is management that puts them first, day-by-day, moment-by-moment. Management is discipline, carrying it out.
In other words, if you are an effective manager of yourself, your discipline comes from within; it is a function of your independent will. You are a follower of your own deep values and their source.
In the essay "The Common Denominator of Success," written by E.M. Gray, he found that the one denominator all successful people share wasn't hard work, good luck, or astute human relations, though those were all important. The one factor that seemed to transcend all the rest embodies the essence of Habit #3 - Putting First Things First.
He found that the successful people had the habit of doing the things failures didn't like to do. He noted that they don't like doing them either, necessarily, but their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.
I'm summarizing a lot in order to keep this short - so let's jump to a helpful tool so you can figure out how to put first things first: The Eisenhower Matrix, or as Stephen Covey calls it, the Time Management Matrix.
The matrix helps you recognize what is important vs. not important and what is urgent vs. not urgent. Many times, the less important things feel more urgent, such as email, texts, interruptions, some meetings, etc., so we end up prioritizing them. This habit keeps us from executing on the important but not urgent things that will improve our lives, careers, and relationships.
The more you focus on the important, not urgent things, the less urgent crises you have to manage. Complete the matrix and then find ways to focus on your Quadrant II: Important and Not Urgent activities.
**Download a writable PDF to complete your own matrix HERE**
At first, the only way to find time to focus on "Quadrant II: Important Activities" is to take away time from Quadrants III and IV. If you find yourself saying "but I need my downtime, my TV show, my mindless scrolling after a stressful day", I hear you.
But the only way your days will ever become less stressful is to get out of fire-fighting mode and into effective, important, focused activities. In order to put first things first, you must be willing to make a short-term sacrifice of the non-important things.
The world needs joyful, calm, EFFECTIVE people. Take some time to fill out your matrix (DOWNLOAD HERE) and start putting first things first.
Cheers to becoming the most effective version of YOU,
Sharon
Stick with me for this series until we cover all 7 habits!
If you missed any of the previous habits, find the links below:
Habit #1 - Be Proactive
Habit #2 - Begin With The End In Mind
**Note - much of this text is directly from Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I've added context where I saw fit and condensed in other sections. His publisher's website is worth a read for more reference and if you can find the time, read the book. Website HERE.**
Support to Complete Your Matrix
Helping others define their success is where I start with each and every client. You need to get clear on what is most important to you if you want to put first things first. Knowing that most people won't set aside the time to complete their matrix, I offer a Life Vision Intensive meant to help you define YOUR success. Click HERE to schedule a free strategy session to further discuss how this can help you.
Together we will gain clarity on what you really want in this life (personally and professionally), uncover your core values, define the impact you want to make, and understand the people and places where you want to spend your time.
A Life Vision Intensive is a 2-hour coaching session where we dive into what energizes you, brings you joy, and makes you feel fulfilled. I provide you a written summary of your Life Vision and your core values, and we discuss how to use it as a tool going forward.
I've helped so many clients define their success and make changes towards a more fulfilling life. You don't have to stay stuck. I can help you too.
