Habit 3: Put First Things First

Habit 3, "Put First Things First," is about prioritizing what matters most. It focuses on organizing and executing around your most important priorities. While Habit 1 focuses on what we can influence and Habit 2 aims us in the right direction, Habit 3 is the day-in, day-out, moment-by-moment work that takes us to that vision. It's about managing your time effectively to prioritize meaningful tasks.

Covey introduces the Time Management Matrix, which categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. Quadrant 1 includes tasks that are both important and urgent, requiring immediate attention. Quadrant 2 contains important but not urgent tasks, such as relationship-building, creating a vision, setting life goals, planning, and exercising. Quadrant 3 involves tasks that are urgent but not important, often assigned by someone else. Quadrant 4 includes tasks that are neither urgent nor important—essentially time-wasters.

According to Covey, the best return on our time is to spend it on things which aren't urgent but are important (Quadrant 2). This includes planning, creative thinking, and learning and renewal. Effective people avoid Quadrants 3 and 4 because tasks in those quadrants, whether urgent or not, are not important. They allocate most of their time to Quadrant 2, which results in vision, perspective, balance, discipline, control, and fewer crises.

The essence of time management is organizing and executing around priorities. It's not about prioritizing what's on your schedule, but about scheduling your priorities. This approach helps you focus on what's most important and ensures that your actions align with your goals and vision.

Practical Example: Frances Parker, an Executive Agenda Group Chair, successfully applied Habit 3 to her leadership style. Before learning to "Put First Things First," she found herself constantly pulled into urgent tasks that felt important at the time but weren't aligned with her larger vision for the business. After adopting this habit, she began scheduling time for Quadrant 2 activities, such as strategic planning and developing her leadership team. The result was remarkable improvements in her business growth and personal effectiveness. By prioritizing important but not urgent tasks and focusing on her long-term goals, she was able to minimize distractions and make significant progress toward her vision.