Where does the time go???

In the classic book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey offers many useful insights for personal and professional change. One of them is a simple, clever grid called the "Time Management Matrix," (p. 151) in which he divides tasks into those which are either "important" or "not important" and either "urgent" or "not urgent." The resulting four quadrants demonstrate the difference between a "pro-active" or a "re-active" style.

• Quadrant 1= Urgent/Important - Operating in a constant crisis mode puts us under stress and always playing catch-up. It can cause us to put unrealistic demands on others . . .
• **Quadrant 2= Not Urgent/Important - This is where planning, prevention, relationship building, and strategizing come in. It is where most of our time should be spent, in order to have balance, sanity, and ultimately to achieve our goals.
• Quadrant 3= Urgent/Not Important - Reacting and responding to the priorities of others leaves us feeling like victims of someone else's crisis, and out of control. Working in this quadrant makes goals and plans seem useless.
• Quadrant 4= Not Urgent/Not Important - This is where we sometimes turn for relief from constant crisis, or when we feels like a victim. Though it may initially seem like stress relief, these activities can feel like they are controlling us, rather than the reverse.

graphic from http://www.best-personal-growth-resources.com/

For additional information see:

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm