FIRST Executive Summary

First Things First follows the best selling

THINGS book “The Seven Habits of Highly

Effective People” by Stephen Covey. In
this insightful book Covey sheds more light
on the perennial problem of personal time

FIRST management and achieving the balance

between spending time on
relationships AND being successful in
your career.
your

The Key principle in this book, as they title

suggests, is to make sure you do the most
To Live, to Love, to Learn, important things in your – First things First.

to Leave a Legacy To do this, Covey suggest you need to

change your paradigm from reacting to
Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, the urgent to spending time on the
Rebecca R. Merrill important.. Covey enlightens us on the
concept of True North, which is our life
purpose. It isn’t about how fast you’re
going; it’s where you’re headed that
matters.

This book will help you understand more

about your life purpose, what is truly
important in your life and how to organize
your priorities so you spend more time on
the real First Things in your life.

---------------------------------------------------------

Published by Simon & Schuster, First Fireside Edition

1995
ISBN 0-671-86441-6 Paperback ISBN 0-684-80203-1
373 pages
--------------------------------------------------------
www.time-management-central.net
Book summaries
---------------------------------------------------------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

Some feel “success” is linked to

Introduction professional or financial achievement.
The First key thing to understand is that we Absorbed in the ascent, they leave a
are in control of our lives. We can trail of broken relationships, or missed
choose to let our daily life be governed moments of deep, richer living along the
by our own principles or just react to what way.
happens to us.
The wake up call comes when a loved
Leading a principle-centered life means not one dies, or you discover your
taking any short cuts or quick fixes. You teenager has a drug problem, your
must follow a path that focuses on why you doctor tells us you have six months to live,
are doing things rather than how fast or or your marriage is threatened by divorce.
efficiently you are getting things done. It takes a crisis to make some people
Be willing to examine your life, your realize what we’re doing with our time and
motives, and your First Things. what we feel is important don’t match.

The Clock and the Compass The Three Generations of Time

Management
How many people on their deathbed wish First Generation – Characterized by
they’d spent more time at the office? reminders and to-do lists. First Things
are usually what happens to be in front of
Everyone wants a piece of your time. us. People in this generation are flexible
Somewhere between your personal and adaptable, but can fail to keep
vision and daily actions, a gap is created commitments and can be late.
between what you feel you should be doing
and what you are actually accomplishing. Second Generation – Calendars and
appointments, scheduling future events,
The enemy of “best” is “good”. identifying deadlines. Preparation and
The result of putting too many good things planning means a higher level of
ahead of best things is the unsettling feeling responsibility. People and situations tend
we are not putting First Things First in our to become interruptions or distractions that
lives. You are good at many things but you keep us from sticking to our schedule.
are not achieving you Best in anything.
Third Generation – Values clarification;
Two powerful tools to direct us: setting long, medium, and short-term
The clock represents our commitments, goals to obtain the values you’ve
appointments, schedules, goals, and identified. People in this generation
activities. achieve substantial gains in productivity.
The compass represents our vision, First Things are a function of values and
values, principles, mission, conscience, goals.
direction, and what we feel is important-
how we lead our lives. Paradigms emphasized by the Third
Generation are: control, efficiency, values,
For some there is a feeling of being independent achievement, chronos (or
controlled by other people or situations. For chronological, linear time) as opposed
others, we feel guilty over what we’re not to kairos (or the paradigm that focuses
doing, and we can’t enjoy what we do. on quality of time rather than

Page 2 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

quantity), competence, management URGENT NOT URGENT

(as opposed to leadership). Quadrant I Quadrant II
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
The Need for the Fourth Generation
Crises Relationship-
We need to move beyond time Pressing problems building
management to life leadership. This is Deadlines True re-creation
the fourth generation paradigm that will Meetings Preparation
create quality-of-life results. Preparations Prevention
Values clarification
The Urgency Addiction Empowerment

Anything less than a conscious commitment Quadrant III Quadrant IV

to the important is an unconscious NOT IMPORTANT NOT IMPORTANT
commitment to the unimportant. The
Fourth Generation is based on Interruptions Trivia, busywork
“importance”. Phone calls Phone calls
Some mail Time wasters
Knowing and doing what’s important rather Popular Escape activities
than simply responding to what’s urgent is activities, Irrelevant mail
foundational to putting First Things First. Some meetings Excessive TV
Some reports
Some of us are addicted to the
adrenaline rush or the stress of crises.
We are drawn to do anything urgent, just
to stay in motion. It gives us an artificial Check your urgency index: Do these
sense of self-worth, power, control, statements represent your behavior? (here
security, and accomplishment. is a sample of the questions in the book)

“I’d love to spend quality time with you, but I seem to do my best work when I’m under
I’ve got a deadline”. pressure.

“I just don’t have time to exercise.” I’m frustrated by the slowness of people
and things around me.

In order to focus on the issues of I hate to wait or stand in line.

importance as against urgency, study
the Time Management Matrix below: I feel guilty when I take time off from work.
©1994 Covey Leadership Center, Inc
I frequently find myself pushing people
away so I can finish a project.

I’m at my best when handling a crisis

situation.

I often give up quality time with important

people in my life to handle a crisis.

Page 3 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

I rely on solving some crisis to give my day What are First Things and how do we put
a sense of meaning and purpose. them first in our lives?
These ideas from the Fourth Generation
I keep thinking that someday I’ll be able to empower us to answer that question:
do what I really want to do.
The fulfillment of human needs and
Now ask yourself: capacities
What is the one activity that, if you did The reality of “true north” principles
superbly well and consistentl,y would have The potentiality of the four human
significant positive results in your personal endowments
life?
What is the one activity, that if you did The fulfillment of human needs covers
superbly well and consistently, would have our physical needs for food, shelter,
significant and positive results in your clothing, economic well-being, and health.
professional life? Our social needs are the need to belong,
relate to other people, to love and be
Some answers could be: loved. The need to learn is our mental
• Improving communication with need to grow and develop personally
people and professionally. Leaving a legacy is our
• Better preparation spiritual need to have a sense of meaning,
• Better planning and organizing contribution, and purpose.
• Taking better care of self
• Seizing new opportunities Any of these needs, unmet, reduces
• Personal development quality of life. An unmet need can create a
• Empowerment black hole that devours your energy and
attention. An unmet need can drive you to
These are all in Quadrant II. You must act urgency addiction.
on them. They don’t act on you.
When the physical, mental, social, and
If you’re looking for time to spend in spiritual needs overlap in a synergy and
Quadrant II, get it from Quadrant III and IV. balance we find fulfillment and joy. Most
importantly, you must live for a purpose
The value of the matrix is that it helps us higher than yourself.
see how importance and urgency affect the
choices we make about how to spend our The reality of “true north” principles
time. It allows us to see where we spend
most of our time and why we spend it there. We need to create an inner compass that
We are able to see the degree to which aligns us with timeless principles and
urgency dominates is the degree to which realities in the human experience. We’re
importance is not. not talking about values, practices, or
religion. We’re talking about service and
reciprocity, the process of growth and
To Live, to Love, to Learn, to change.
Leave a Legacy
The Law of the Farm governs all areas of
Doing more things faster is no substitute for life. You have to cultivate and nurture
doing the right things. things over time. You can’t expect a
Page 4 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

harvest if you haven’t put in the time and Standing apart from and learning from our
effort to care for your crops. You can’t fix an own experience
unhealthy lifestyle with a week at the spa.
You can’t expect your wife to stay with you Carefully observing the experience of
if you never stop to speak to her and give others
her some affection. What you sow you
inevitably reap. Taking time to be still and listen to that
deep inner voice
The potentiality of the four human
endowments: self-awareness, Responding to that voice
conscience, creative imagination, and
independent will – these create our ultimate Nurture independent will by making and
freedom. The power to choose, to respond, keeping promises.
to change, are all within these four human
gifts. They create the compass that will We choose either to live our lives or
align our lives with True North. to let others live them for us. By
making and keeping promises to
WE ARE THE PRODUCT OF OUR ourselves and to others, little by little we
CHOICES. increase our strength until our ability to act
is more powerful than any of the forces
Self-awareness: that act upon us.
Assess your self awareness (this is a
sample of questions from the book) Develop creative imagination through
visualization.
Am I able to stand apart from my thoughts
or feelings and examine and change them? The best way to predict your future is to
create it. Visualize yourself in an
Am I able to evaluate the response or uncomfortable situation and use self-
feedback I get from other people? awareness to separate yourself from it.
Conscience See how you would normally react, as
Am I able to keep promises I make to against how you know you should react
myself as well as to others? based on principles. This enables you
to see a goal before you accomplish it
Nurture self-awareness by keeping a and create much of the quality of your own
personal journal. This is high level reality before you live it.
Quadrant II activity. You will gain insight on
repeating patterns and themes in your life. With the humility that comes from being
principle-centered, we’re empowered to
Educate the conscience by learning, learn from the past, have hope for the
listening, and responding. future, act with confidence in the present.

Reading and pondering over the wisdom IF WE ACT BASED ON PRINCIPLES, IT

literature (classic, philosophical, and WILL PRODUCE QUALITY-OF-LIFE
inspirational literature dealing specifically RESULTS.
with the art of living) to broaden our
awareness of true north, or timeless The power to create quality of life is not in
principles any planner, technique or tool. It is within
us, our ability to use our inner compass so
Page 5 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

we can act with integrity in the moment of Think about any contributions you’d like to
choice. make.

Section Two: The Main Thing is to keep Reaffirm feelings you want to have in your
The Main Thing The Main Thing life – peace, confidence, happiness,
contribution, and meaning.
Quadrant II Organizing: The Process of
Putting Things First Think about how you might spend this
week if you knew you had only six months
When there’s no gardener, there’s no to live.
garden.
Step 2: Identify your roles.
Identify what’s important and focus your
efforts on helping it grow. We all have many roles to fulfill at work, in
our families, in the community, or in other
The Weekly Worksheet provides a view of areas of life. We sometimes succeed in
the bigger picture, as opposed to the limited one role at the expense of another, so the
view of daily planning. Weekly organizing key is balance. Your various roles have to
puts things in a proper context and work together along with your mission
emphasizes importance over urgency so statement.
we don’t limit our perspective to what is in
front of us at the moment. Example: An executive may be a husband
and father, a manager of new products, a
Step 1: Connect with your vision and manager of research, administration
mission manager, and a chairman of the board.

What is most important? Life is more than just a job, family, or a

What gives your life meaning? particular relationship. It is all these
What do you want to be and to do in your together. Sharpen your physical, mental,
life? emotional/social, and spiritual areas by
spending time on each. Schedule and stick
Clarity on these issues is critical because it to your exercise program, talk to your
affects everything else – from the way you daughter, read up on the latest
spend your time to the paradigms you have. developments in your field, and have
What is the point of climbing a ladder if it is time to meditate, pray or do some
leaning against the wrong wall? Why spiritual reading. The key word is
schedule activities that aren’t aligned with Harmony.
your purpose?
Step 3: Select Quadrant II goals in each
To make your personal mission statement: role.
List three or four things you would consider
“first things” in your life WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
Consider any long-range goals you may THING I COULD DO IN EACH ROLE THIS
have set WEEK TO HAVE THE GREATEST
POSITIVE IMPACT?
Think about the most important
relationships in your life. Step 4: Create a decision-making
framework for the week.
Page 6 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

Truths
In some cases it may be better not to Future-focused individuals and teams
schedule a goal at a particular hour of the perform better.
day but to list it as priority instead. It may be
more effective to watch for the right time Petty things become unimportant when
when the opportunity arises to have that people are impassioned about a purpose
heart to heart talk with your son, or ask your higher than the self.
boss for that raise.
Vision that transforms and transcends
Step 5: Exercise integrity in the moment. Gandhi overcame his personal weakness
of being a loner when he realized as a
Preview the day. lawyer how to create win-win situations for
Prioritize. Identify priorities using numbers opposing sides. He saw the injustices of
and letters, highlight, encircle, or mark the British over the Indian people, and
them with asterisks. Use some form of T decided his life would be devoted to
planning for the day. Time-sensitive winning equality and freedom for three
activities can be listed on one side; hundred million people.
activities which can be performed any time
of the day are listed on the other. Creating and living an empowering mission
statement, an exercise of creative
Step 6: Evaluate imagination

At the end of the week, review your mission Visualize your eightieth birthday. How
statement to begin organizing the next would you like people to pay tribute to you
week, pause to ask yourself: with regards to each of your roles? What
What goals did I achieve? would you like them to say about you?
What challenges did I encounter?
Getting into our deep inner life
What decisions did I make?
In making decisions, did I keep First Things “Everyone has his own specific vocation or
first? mission in life; everyone must carry out a
concrete assignment that demands
5. The Passion of Vision fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced,
nor can his life be repeated. Thus,
It’s easy to say “no” when there’s a deeper everyone’s task is unique as his specific
“yes” burning inside. opportunity to implement it.” –Victor Frankl

“We don’t invent our mission. It is within us “Every human being has a work to do,
waiting to be realized.” –Victor Frankl duties to perform, influence to exert, which
are peculiarly his, and which no
Victor Frankl, an Austrian psychologist, conscience but his own can teach.” –
discovered how a powerful future vision William Ellery Channing
helped people survive the Nazi
concentration camps. Survivors of POW An empowering mission statement:
camps in Vietnam expressed similar Represents the deepest and best within
experiences: a primary force that kept them you. It comes out of a solid connection with
alive was a future-focused vision. your deep inner life. Is the fulfillment of

Page 7 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

your own unique gifts. It’s the expression of impact of these statements on their lives
your unique capacity to contribute. and on society.
Is transcendent. It’s based on principles of Help your children or others whose lives
contribution and purpose higher than self. you touch to create their own mission
Addresses and integrates all four statements. Nurture vision in others.
fundamental human needs and capacities.
It includes fulfillment in physical, social, The Balance of Roles
mental, and spiritual dimensions.
Balance isn’t either/or; it’s and.
Is based on principles that produce quality-
of-life results. Both the ends and means are “One man cannot do right in one
based on True North principles. department of life whilst he is occupied
doing wrong in any other department. Life
Deals with both vision and principle-based is one indivisible whole.” – Gandhi
values. It’s not enough to have values
without vision. You want to be good for A more holistic paradigm is foundational to
something. Eastern wisdom. Health, for example, is
seen not in separate departments of
Deals with all the significant roles in your psychology or biology, but the totality of
life. It represents a lifetime balance of the whole person.
personal, family, work, community –
whatever roles you feel are yours to fill. Creating synergy among roles
A woman who chooses to focus on
Is written to inspire you – not to impress motherhood, and does so out of a clear
anyone else. sense of her own personal vision,
becomes truly energized in her role. She
Quadrant II goals to cultivate the recognizes the value of her efforts in
passion of vision: shaping the characters of future leaders in
society. In the process, she develops
Set quadrant II time each week to cultivate competence and character to fulfill her
a rich inner life, to nurture a quiet place other roles. She may want to take up a
within yourself where you can connect with second degree, or a second career.
your own inner compass.
Schedule a personal retreat to write a In a society that is slow to appreciate and
personal mission statement translate the skills of the competent home
Schedule time to evaluate and revise your manager (man or woman) to the job
current mission statement market, it is society itself that suffers.
Commit your mission to memory.
Set a daily goal to visualize yourself living Three Paradigms that nurture balance:
your mission statement Our “natural” roles grow out of our
Review your mission statement each week mission.
before you begin to organize.
Keep a daily record of how your Roles with no meaning except for
experiences, your choices, and your economic security, for example, have no
decisions are affected by your personal sustaining power because they don’t tap
mission statement into our deep burning passion. Business
Read mission statements written by other success cannot justify failure in marriage.
people throughout history. Consider the
Page 8 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

Success in the community cannot justify Natural balance is a dynamic equilibrium

failure as a parent. that manifest itself in three different ways
in our lives:
During times of chosen imbalance (like Primary balance is the inner balance
when a mother chooses to spend most of between our physical, social, emotional,
her time caring for a new baby) we may feel and spiritual dimensions.
more comfortable listing only one or two Secondary balance is in our roles. It’s a
roles during weekly organizing. synergistic balance, sometimes a seasonal
imbalance, as the parts work together to
The vital factor in any choice concerning create a greater whole.
balance in our lives is a deep connection The production/production capability
with our inner voice of conscience. Learn to (P/PC) balance is the balance between
say No in deference to a larger Yes in your developing and doing that empowers us to
life. do more effectively by increasing our
capacity to do.
i.e. Decline to serve on the board of your (Balance time to exercise and relax with
organization this year if you feel you need time for work)
to spend more time with your family, or
have to focus on starting a new business. Organize information by roles
Prices for paint can be filed under
Each role is a stewardship. home management. A new product idea
can be filed under product development
We are stewards of our time, our talents, management. A charity drive plan can be
and our resources. We have stewardships filed under community leadership. Your
at work, at home, and in the community. wife’s birthday, children’s shoe sizes, and
We must take care of each of these roles in the dog’s vaccination schedule can be filed
order to pass on a healthy environment, our under family. File your work associates
treasured possessions, a sense of and clients’ numbers and addresses under
responsibility, and values. your work role, while carpet cleaner or
dry cleaners’ numbers are filed under
Each role contains all four dimensions. home management. Your reading list,
exercise log, and wish lists can be filed
The physical – It requires or creates under personal development.
resources
The spiritual – It connects to mission and REMEMBER: TIME MAY BE A LIMITED
principles RESOURCE, BUT WE AREN’T.
The social – It involves relationships with
others Quadrant II goals to cultivate the balance
The mental – It requires learning of roles:
Evaluate your mission statement and
Put people ahead of schedules. Don’t see roles to make sure your roles grow out
your role in terms of tasks to do but in terms of your mission and your mission includes
of people to help, nurture, care for, or train. all the important roles in your life.
You may realize you’ve been taking all your Analyze each of your roles in terms of
clients to lunch, but when was the last time relationships, and stewardships. Organize
you took your wife or mother out to lunch? your planner/organizer around your roles.
Organize your file or computer screen
Quadrant II organizing nurtures balance. around your roles.
Page 9 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

Work on a mission statement or week, and think positive thoughts. I will

stewardship agreement for each of your sleep seven hours a night.
roles.
Keep a “perhaps” list. A list kept under
The Power of Goals each role of things you might want to do. It
does not mean it’s a goal or commitment,
We suffer a blow to our Personal Integrity but an idea to look over and perhaps
Account whenever we don’t achieve our translate to any item on your goals for the
goals. We lose confidence in our ability to week, or keep it later for future
make and keep commitments, to ourselves, consideration, or even discard it if it is not
and to others. Then when we need to as important. Setting weekly goals.
draw on the strength of character to Effective weekly goals are driven by
meet critical challenges in our lives, we conscience. They are often quadrant II
don’t have anything to draw on. goals, the important but not necessarily
Accomplishing one goal in one area of life urgent. They reflect our four basic needs
could mean a negative impact on our other and capacities. They are in the Center of
areas. A man focused on increasing his Focus. They are either determinations or
wealth could be doing so at the expense of concentrations, or things you’re
time with his wife and family. determined to do, and concentrations,
areas of pursuit you focus your efforts
How to set and achieve principle-based around.
goals:
The Perspective of the Week
Through conscience, we connect with
the passion of vision and mission and Three operating perspectives
the power of principles. Through creative
imagination, we envision possibility and Working within the framework of a week
synergistic, creative ways to achieve it. ties up the long-term vision with the
Through self-awareness, we set goals urgency of the day, the fundamental needs
with realistic stretch and stay open to with the felt needs, direction and tasks, the
conscience-driven change. Through big picture with the next step.
independent will, we make purposeful 1. Balanced renewal
choice and carry it out; we have the Weekly renewal is practiced by the
integrity to walk our talk. Christian world by observing the Sabbath;
academics take sabbaticals to renew their
Setting long-term and “context” goals interest in their field. Quadrant II organizing
Use a what, why, and how format to helps us make weekly renewal part of a
effectively capture these goals. balanced lifestyle. Renewal is not escape
but should include Quadrant II activities
What: My goal is to maintain a healthy such as:
body. • Building, repairing, or renewing
Why: So I can have the strength and relationships with family and friends
endurance necessary to fulfill my • Recommitting to deep values through
mission. It will also enhance my character religious activities
strength and personal integrity account. • Restoring energy through rest and
How: I will increase my intake of fruit recreation
and vegetables, exercise four times a

Page 10 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

• Developing talents through special your organizer. At the end of the week,
interests and hobbies evaluate your experience. If you’re not
• Contributing through community service already doing so, set aside a day during
the week for renewal, reflection, and
2. Whole-parts-whole recommitment - not just recreation. On this
We see the big picture, then the day, don’t do things you normally do on
interrelatedness of each part – work, family, other days. After a month, evaluate the
personal development, community activity – effect on your life. If you live or work with
how each part contributes to the other. This other people, have a weekly organizing
thinking creates synergy and removes meeting with them. Look for ways to
artificial barriers among roles and goals. coordinate your activities to better
We learn to combine our physical need for accomplish everyone’s objectives.
exercise with the need to build a
relationship by taking our son along for a Integrity in the Moment of Choice
swim.
3. Context in Context Things do not always go “as planned”.
Quadrant II organizing is not prioritizing There may be times when we are faced
the schedule; it’s scheduling the with an important meeting, but an
priorities. Block specific time zones for employee we are interviewing suddenly
your priorities each week. Family time breaks down and wants to talk about an
can take Saturday morning, while issue affecting his work. What do we do,
community service can be blocked for guided by our conscience, in this moment
Thursday. These are interchangeable, if of choice?
for example you get free tickets on
Thursday for a concert for the whole family, Do we walk him down to Human
then you simply move community service to Resources and gently shift him over to
Saturday. You still accomplish both goals their area of responsibility? Do we
within the same week. reschedule our meeting, send the
secretary to the meeting ahead to say
Set aside time for preparation, whether it’s you’ll be a half hour late, or send a
for a presentation, or a gardening project. representative to the meeting? Do we
arrange to talk to the employee after the
When we see all the parts of our lives meeting? Whatever we decide, it must be
matter to our mission, that synergy among based on principle and conscience, and
the parts creates energy in the whole. not time pressure or your own needs.
Life becomes a productive cycle of
growth and continuous learning, fulfilling Quadrant II goals to cultivate integrity in
relationships, and meaningful contributions. the moment of choice:
When you set your goals for the
Quadrant II goals to cultivate the week, pause and connect with
perspective of the week: conscience. Observe your own
Designate a specific time and place to do involvement in the process. Think about
your Quadrant II organizing. Find a spot how it feels to connect when you’re not in
that’s conducive to contemplation and the pressure of the moment. Work to
introspection. During the week, take note translate that experience into the
of situations you handle differently because decision moments of each day.
of a weekly perspective. Record these in Create a specific question to ask
yourself in moments of choice. Review
Page 11 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

it at the beginning of the day and several • What principles did I apply or fail to
times throughout the day so that it’s apply during the week?
constantly before you. Work toward building • What can I learn from the week as a
the habit of pausing to ask that question in whole?
the space between stimulus and response.
At the beginning of the day, think about A monthly or quarterly evaluation may
your personal integrity account. Jot contain questions as:
down deposits and withdrawals as you What patterns of success or failure do I
interact with conscience during the day. see in setting and achieving goals?
Think about the three-part process: Am I setting goals that are realistic but
Ask with intent. What is the right thing to do challenging?
now? What keeps getting in the way of
Listen without excuse. Listen to your accomplishing my goals?
conscience and do not rationalize when you
choose poorly. Always remember to connect to your
Act with courage. It takes courage to do mission, review your roles, identify your
what we feel we ought to do in the moment goals, organize the week, put the
of choice and let go of all the important Quadrant II goals in first,
rationalizations. then schedule other things around
them. Exercise integrity in the moment of
Learning from Living choice, and evaluate your weeks so they
become an upward spiral of learning and
As long as you live, keep learning how to living.
live. –Seneca
Section Three: The Synergy of
How to evaluate your week Interdependence

On a personal journal or on the back of The Interdependent Reality

your weekly worksheet, use this checklist of
questions and go through it each week Living, loving, learning, and leaving a
before you begin the Quadrant II organizing legacy are all part of a reality of
process for the following week. These are interdependence. We need others to live.
some questions you can ask yourself: Where would we be without our doctors,
• Which goals did I achieve? insurance agents, and hospitals? We need
• What empowered me to accomplish our economic security from our employers,
these goals? clients, and associates in order to enjoy life
• What challenges did I encounter? with our family and friends. Love, by
• How did I overcome them? definition is interdependence. We learn
• Was accomplishing these goals the best from books written by others, from classes
use of my time? taught by others. We leave a legacy in
• Did my focus on these goals blind me to order to contribute to others in our society.
unexpected opportunities for better use
of my time? All public behavior is ultimately private
• Did meeting these goals add to my behavior. The problems facing families,
personal integrity account? organizations, and societies are the
• In what ways did I create synergy result of individuals making choices in
between roles and goals?
Page 12 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

the space between stimulus and

response. An empowering organizational mission
statement:
Life is one indivisible whole. Our private Focuses on worthwhile purposes that
lives affect our work lives and vice versa. create a deep burning “yes!”
All our roles are interdependent. Comes from the bowels of the
organization, not from the top
Trust grows out of trustworthiness. It is Is based on timeless principles
foundational in all relationships. Contains both vision and principle-based
values
With self-awareness we can listen to Addresses the needs of all stakeholders
our own heart, and because of this we Addresses all four human needs and
can listen to the hearts of others. capacities
Because we understand conscience, we
know what it is to be part of a collective Creating win-win stewardship agreements
conscience -people working together to Specify desired results
achieve true north principles. Through our Set guidelines
independent will we can work Identify available resources
interdependently to create win-win Define accountability/criteria
situations. With creative imagination, we Determine the consequences
can contribute to creative synergy,
unleashing the potential in others where Empowerment from the inside out
teamwork produces extraordinary results.
“Things come up all the time where
First Things First Together independent decisions need to be
made. As a manager, I want these people
Think win-win. Always try to see how both to be fully functioning, empowered human
sides can benefit Seek first to understand, beings, using their best judgment to create
then to be understood, based on principles their jobs as they go along. I know it’s the
of humility and respect. way to get their hearts and not just their
hands. The agreement we have is that if
Synergize based on principles of valuing they make a mistake, it’s my fault. But if
difference and seeking third alternatives they make it again, it’s their fault. They’re
covered to make an empowered decision.”
IT’S NOT ABOUT WHO IS RIGHT, BUT
WHAT IS RIGHT. Involve people in the creation of a mission
statement for the group or organization.
“Three-fourths of the world’s miseries When they come to you with problems, ask
and misunderstandings will disappear if them “What do you recommend?”
we step into the shoes of our adversaries Be patient and let the example of others in
and understand their standpoint. –Gandhi the group with high-level initiative
agreements
Families can pull together with the passion speak for themselves.
of shared vision.
Organizations can work together through Cultivate the conditions of
interdependence. Everyone must be empowerment: trustworthiness, (integrity,
informed of the mission and are interacting maturity, abundance mentality- or the
freely in an environment of high trust. thinking there are always alternatives)
Page 13 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------
 First Things First – Book Summary
Time-Management-Cental.net – saving your time

competence in technical knowledge and life as an adventure. They have richer,

skills, the ability to see the big picture, and more rewarding relationships with other
interact with others effectively. people. They’re more synergistic. They
work with others to achieve a shared
Other conditions are win-win stewardship vision. They’re continually learning. They
agreements, trust, self-directing individuals become contribution-focused.
and teams, aligned structures and systems, They produce extraordinary results. They
and accountability. develop a healthy psychological immune
system. They can handle problems
Ask for feedback. Become a leader and They create their own limits.
servant at the same time. They don’t work until they drop.
They don’t spend until there’s no credit
Section Four: The power and peace of left.
principle-centered living They lead more balanced lives.
They become more confident and secure.
The Peace of Results They’re better able to walk their talk.
They focus on their circle of influence,
As we integrate fourth-generation paradigm things they can do something about.
and processes in our lives, we find a They cultivate a rich inner life
different kind of peace: They radiate positive energy
Peace in our ability to live, love, learn, and They enjoy life more.
leave a legacy with balance and joy
Peace in the development of our Letting go
human endowments that empower us Let go of paradigms that are popular and
with character and competence in the pleasing but based on illusion.
moment of choice Let go of things that aren’t First Things
Peace as our roles cooperate rather Let go of rational-lies-ing
than compete, as they become parts of Let go of unnecessary guilt
a synergistic, living whole Let go of extrinsic sources of security
The transcendent peace of learning to
listen to and live by conscience NOTHING CAN BRING YOU PEACE BUT
YOURSELF. NOTHING CAN BRING YOU
Two stumbling blocks: Discouragement and PEACE BUT THE TRIUMPH OF
Pride. To fight discouragement we need PRINCIPLES. -EMERSON
courage to face our lives. Think “Mind over
mattress”, and make small promises to
yourself and keep them. Gradually you will
be able to make and keep bigger promises
and have a full personal integrity account.
Pride is a stumbling block because it
makes us compare ourselves to others.
The antidote for pride is humility.

Characteristics of principle-centered
people:
They’re more flexible and
spontaneous. They aren’t chained to
schedules and appointments. They see
Page 14 of 14
[email protected]
------- © http://www.time-management-central.net 2008 -------