Like the first two habits, the third’s title is somewhat unclear. This sounds like it is saying, “Do the most important things,” or “When performing a task, arrange the subtasks in a sensible order.”
In reality, this habit could better be rephrased as “Effectively manage your time in order to maximize your long-term outcomes.”
Covey breaks activities up into four categories, or quadrants:
Quadrant I is important and urgent activities, such as handling crises, pressing problems, and deadline-driven projects.
Quadrant II is important but not urgent activities, such as prevention, building our power capacity, exercise, relationship building, recognizing new opportunities, planning, and recreation.*
Quadrant III is non-important but urgent activities, such as interruptions, some calls, some mail, some reports, some meetings, proximate pressing matters, and popular activities.*
Quadrant IV is non-important, non-urgent activities such as trivia, busywork, some mail, some phone calls, time wasters, and pleasant activities.*… Read more