Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix

The published image is The Time Management Matrix by Stephen R. Covey, only if we decide which quadrant to stay in, we can definitely be effective and successful, and until we manage ourselves, no Time Management Seminar can help us !

As you see

The Quadrant One shows problems that are both urgent and important, those that need to be done and need to be done immediately. Here the dilemma is that many people, especially the ones with our "Desi" approach of "working hard and restlessly" take most of the issues facing them to be Quadrant One problems, the problem is such people get consumed by over-work and there is ABSOLUTELY NO BALANCE. Ultimately they take refuge in the Quadrant Four.


The Quadrant Four Shows problems that are neither important nor urgent. Many people place majority of their problems in Quadrant Four, and the result is obvious, this Lazy Bluffer routine causes them TO RUST

The Quadrant Three shows problems that are not really important but unluckily we have to deal with them. We need to get rid of a disturbing phone call by attending to it. We need to resort to many popular activities on peer pressure. And we do have to face and tackle all this. But that CAUSES YOU TO BE UNFOCUSSED !! The best way to deal with such issues is not to let them carry you away, or to minimise them if not completely ignore them


Now, the important thing is-- the point of focus is -- that the above mentioned issues don't let us have any balance in our life. We lose focus, become either over-worked or become Totally wasted or unfocussed.

What We need To Do Is To

FOCUS ON THE QUADRANT TWO
This quadrant focuses on the things that need to be done, that are important for us, but they are not pressing on us. We are doing them relaxingly, exerting our positive energy taking our time, and focussing on BALANCE.

And for this, we need to be pro-active, we should have the courage to understand and change what false images have been given to us by our social mirror and what needs to be changed. Plus we have to understand that we are the masters of our own fate. No one can lead us or manage us but WE, and following all this we can definitely have energy and balance in everything we do, plus we can have strong relationships as well. FOCUS ON WORKING SMART NOT WORKING HARD

And thats' the key to work-life balance as well that I mentioned in one of my previous posts !!!

Source : 7 habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R.Covey