Steve Covey’s Time Management Matrix
Time Management is a common subject that comes up when life coaching in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. And when it does, I often ask if my client is familiar with the Time Management Matrix made popular by Steve Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s a simple system anyone can use to reprioritise your efforts in every area of life, to become more efficient and effective in all you do.
In this matrix, all the tasks you could possibly perform are divided into four categories, each given its own quadrant on a chart. The four quadrants are:
- Important and Urgent: including tasks like deadlines and emergencies
- Important but Not Urgent: including tasks like learning and planning
- Not important but Urgent: like interruptions and distractions
- Not important and Not Urgent: like entertainment and busy work
The biggest lesson of this system is that while the first quadrant is the most important for accomplishing short term goals, the second quadrant is actually the most important for accomplishing long term goals. It’s also, as I find when talking with clients life coaching in Tunbridge wells, Kent, the quadrant that gets ignored the most. Tasks like reading and learning, goal setting and planning, tend to be the tasks that get pushed ahead in place of tasks with more perceived urgency, but not more importance.
The lesson I tell my life coaching in Tunbridge wells, Kent clients, and the lesson for you, from Covey’s Four Quadrant system is to take care of all urgent and important tasks (Quadrant 1) as quickly as you can. Get them out of the way. And then focus the majority of your time and energy in Quadrant 2, taking on those tasks that will help you achieve your larger, longer term goals.
“What’s talked about is a dream. What’s envisioned is exciting. What’s planned becomes possible. What’s scheduled is real.” ~ Anthony Robbins
’til we meet again,
Walk in Beauty;
Walk in Peace.
‘Causing the Miraculous by Spreading Beauty, Truth & Harmony‘
Johnathan Brooks, MAC, PG Dip is a Life Coach who has trained in a wide range of personal development treatment methods including the “Power Therapies” (CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (postgrad), EFT Emotional Freedom Technique, Master NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming) and has a Post Graduate Diploma in ‘Coaching and NLP’ which he passed with a ‘Commendation’. And is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
He is a full member of the Association for Coaching (MAC) and is a Gold member of The Professional Guild of NLP.
The 80/20 Rule: A Powerful Life Coaching & Management Tool
That means in any team or group, 20% of the members are doing 80% of the work. And in an individuals own work, 20% of what they put into something is responsible for 80% of the results. In the 1940s, Dr. Joseph M. Juran — who is responsible for naming this phenomenon the Pareto Principle — observed similarly that 20% of the defects in a product or process are responsible for 80% of the problems. So it goes both ways. In fact, as it turns out, this principle can apply to almost anything:
80% of clients deliver 20% of your income.
80% of all frustrations in a relationship are caused by just 20% of the problems.
80% of your problems are caused by 20% of your circumstances.
80% of your income comes from 20% of your work.
So in terms of personal coaching in Tunbridge wells, Kent, how does one apply this principle toward improving your own time management and productivity? Toward increasing efficiency and effectiveness, whether in your work, school or home life? By applying 80 of your efforts to the most important 20 percent of your work or goals. Or find out which 20% is the main cause of your problems and then eliminate them.
As I share with many a client personal coaching in Tunbridge wells, Kent, the Pareto Principle teaches you how to work smarter rather than harder, by reminding you to put the bulk of your energy toward the few tasks that matter most.
’til we meet again,
Walk in Beauty;
Walk in Peace.
‘Causing the Miraculous by Spreading Beauty, Truth & Harmony‘
Johnathan Brooks, MAC, PG Dip is a Life Coach who has trained in a wide range of personal development treatment methods including the “Power Therapies” (CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (postgrad), EFT Emotional Freedom Technique, Master NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming) and has a Post Graduate Diploma in ‘Coaching and NLP’ which he passed with a ‘Commendation’. And is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
He is a full member of the Association for Coaching (MAC) and is a Gold member of The Professional Guild of NLP.
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