Chapter 3: Habit 3 - Put First Things First
The third habit in Stephen R. Covey’s "The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People" is about managing time
effectively by focusing on what truly matters in life.
This habit emphasizes the importance of setting
priorities, planning your time, and making daily choices
that align with your values and goals. It’s about
balancing urgent tasks with important ones and
ensuring that what you do daily contributes to long-
term success.
Key Concepts and Teachings:
1. Understanding Time Management
o Time Management Matrix: Covey
introduces the Time Management Matrix, a
tool that helps you distinguish between urgent
and important tasks. The matrix has four
quadrants:
Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important—
tasks that require immediate attention
(e.g., crises, pressing problems).
Quadrant 2: Not Urgent but Important—
tasks that contribute to long-term goals
and values (e.g., planning, relationship
building, exercise).
Quadrant 3: Urgent but Not Important—
tasks that demand immediate attention
but do not contribute significantly to your
long-term success (e.g., interruptions,
distractions).
Quadrant 4: Not Urgent and Not
Important—tasks that are neither crucial
nor necessary (e.g., watching TV,
excessive social media use).
2. Effective Prioritization
o Focus on Quadrant 2: Covey stresses the
importance of spending more time in Quadrant
2—working on tasks that are important but not
urgent. These tasks often involve planning,
prevention, relationship building, and personal
development.
o The Law of the Farm: Just as a farmer
cannot expect immediate results from planting
seeds, individuals cannot expect immediate
rewards from investing in Quadrant 2
activities. These are the activities that yield
long-term growth and success, like building
relationships, setting goals, and continuous
learning.
o Be Proactive: Covey encourages readers to
be proactive in managing their time. This
means taking control of your schedule rather
than allowing external factors (like other
people’s demands or interruptions) to dictate
how you spend your time.
3. Importance of Personal Management
o Principle-Centered Time Management:
Covey’s principle-centered approach to time
management emphasizes that effective people
manage their time according to their values,
not just based on external pressures. This
involves setting clear goals, knowing your
priorities, and consistently making choices
that support your long-term vision.
o The Power of Focus: Covey argues that
effective people are those who focus their time
and energy on what matters most—both in
their personal and professional lives. They
prioritize activities that lead to the desired
results in the long run, rather than getting
caught up in daily distractions.
4. Daily Private Victory
o The Daily Quadrant Planning: Covey
recommends planning your day using the Time
Management Matrix. At the beginning of each
day, spend a few minutes identifying what
tasks you need to accomplish, categorize them
into the four quadrants, and prioritize
accordingly.
o Prioritizing Important over Urgent: The
habit of “Put First Things First” involves
making decisions based on importance rather
than urgency. Covey suggests that by doing
important tasks first, even when they are not
urgent, you prevent urgent tasks from
overwhelming you later on.
o The Power of Saying No: Effective people
know how to say no to tasks that are not
aligned with their values or long-term goals.
This requires the discipline to avoid getting
distracted by tasks that are merely urgent but
not important.
5. Building Effective Time Management Skills
o Time Blocking: One practical technique
Covey suggests is time blocking—setting aside
specific times in your schedule for important
activities. This method helps protect your
Quadrant 2 time from distractions and
interruptions.
o Daily and Weekly Planning: Covey
recommends setting aside time each day and
each week to plan your schedule. This helps
you remain focused on your goals and ensures
that you are consistently moving in the right
direction.
o Scheduling Weekly Planning Sessions: He
suggests taking 30 minutes at the beginning
of each week to plan your schedule. During
this time, review your goals, priorities, and the
roles you play, and ensure that your upcoming
week reflects your vision.
6. Integration of Roles
o Balancing Different Roles: Covey
emphasizes that effective people are not just
good at managing tasks—they are good at
managing roles. Each individual plays multiple
roles (e.g., parent, professional, friend,
community member), and the third habit
involves ensuring that these roles are
balanced and aligned with your personal
mission statement.
o Creating a Balanced Schedule: Covey
encourages readers to create a schedule that
reflects the balance between different roles.
This involves planning time for family, work,
health, recreation, and personal development.
Each role should receive attention regularly to
avoid neglect and burnout.
7. Organizational Time Management
o Managing Meetings and Group Activities:
Covey applies the Time Management Matrix to
organizations as well. Effective managers and
leaders understand that their time should be
spent on activities that contribute to the
organization’s mission and vision, not just
dealing with crises or interruptions.
o Quadrant 2 in the Workplace: He discusses
the importance of leaders and teams spending
more time in Quadrant 2—on planning, team-
building, and proactive problem-solving. This
prevents organizational fires and ensures long-
term effectiveness.
8. Avoiding Time Wasters
o Identifying and Eliminating Distractions:
Covey advises readers to identify and
eliminate time wasters—activities that
consume time but don’t contribute to your
goals. This might involve setting boundaries
with social media, limiting TV time, or
controlling the urge to multitask.
o Minimizing Interruptions: He suggests
setting boundaries to minimize interruptions,
such as using “Do Not Disturb” signs during
focused work time, setting specific times for
checking emails, or closing the door to
concentrate on important tasks.
9. Maintaining Focus and Discipline
o The Role of Willpower: Covey discusses the
importance of willpower in maintaining focus
and discipline. The habit of putting first things
first requires the ability to resist distractions
and temptations.
o The Power of Focused Effort: By investing
focused time in Quadrant 2 activities, you
prevent urgent issues from becoming crises in
Quadrant 1. This requires discipline and the
ability to stay committed to long-term goals
despite short-term distractions.
10. Evaluating Progress
Weekly and Monthly Reflection: Covey
suggests taking time each week and each month
to review your progress toward your goals. This
involves reflecting on what’s working, what needs
adjustment, and what new actions are required to
stay on track.
Adjusting Priorities: As you evaluate your
schedule and priorities, make adjustments to
ensure that your activities reflect what’s most
important in your life. This might involve revising
your goals, changing your routines, or adopting
new habits that support your vision.
Practical Application Tips
Use a Planner: Utilize a planner to schedule tasks
in advance. Divide your day into time blocks and
assign each block to a specific task.
Weekly Review Session: Set aside time every
week to review your goals, evaluate your progress,
and make adjustments to your schedule as
needed.
Daily Prioritization: At the start of each day,
review your to-do list and prioritize tasks based on
importance. Focus on Quadrant 2 activities first to
prevent distractions from taking over.
Learn to Say No: Practice saying no to tasks that
don’t align with your long-term goals. Remember,
it’s okay to decline invitations or requests that will
derail your focus.
By mastering the third habit, you develop the discipline
to manage your time effectively and ensure that your
daily actions are aligned with your vision and goals.
This habit empowers you to live a life of intention,
purpose, and balance.
