Do you spend your time fighting fires?

Some people are professional firefighters, and they don't even know it.

Steven Covey describes a quadrant system, or a "Time Management Matrix."  For any practitioner of Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this is one of the most basic concepts, but I can appreciate that many people haven't read his book (and frankly don't care to or don't have time to), so I will share one easy way to be more efficient with your time that comes from this resource.

In Covey's "time management matrix," he outlines four different ways you can spend your time (or more appropriately, what kind of activities fall into which spot on the grid).

Here's a peek at one of many reproductions of Covey's grid:

source: lifetrainingonline.com

You can see that the matrix is divided up into four categories:

Quadrant I: Urgent and Important: These tasks could be given the label "fires."  These are tasks that need to be dealt with immediately, and they are very important.  These usually have deadlines attached to them (and if they fall into this quadrant, the deadline is very near!)  People who are working to complete tasks in this quadrant are said to be "putting out fires."

Quadrant II: Not urgent and Important: These tasks could be given the label "quality time."  Family time falls into this quadrant as well.  These things are usually a major priority of a particular individual, and, while there usually are deadlines attached to these as well, they are usually further away, and they don't have to be done right now.  People who establish goals and priorities and work to complete them usually work in this quadrant.

Quadrant III: Not important and Urgent:  These tasks could be given the label "distractions."  They are things that need to be addressed right away, but they are not by any means important.  You can see on the grid that "phone calls" fall into this category.  When the phone rings, you pick up the phone, which takes you off of whatever task you were working on.  This is why it's called a "distraction."  You feel you have to answer the phone, but by doing so it distracts you.  If you stop your current task to answer an email that just came in, that action would also fall into this category.

Quadrant IV: Not important and Not urgent:  These tasks could be given the label "time wasters."  They are tasks that are generally pleasurable to do, but they rarely contribute to anything useful (except for relieving mental tension).  Playing games (board or video) would fall into this category.

So why is this important?  Well, generally, a person is most efficient, productive, and happy when working in Quadrant II.  If procrastination occurs on a Quadrant II item, it can escalate into a Quadrant I item, and then it becomes a fire, and it needs to be dealt with immediately.  Everyone has to put out fires from time to time, but if a person continually is working out of Quadrant I, it generally means that this person is a either a chronic procrastinator, they allow themselves to be distracted, or they waste precious time on other activities.

source: awakeblogger.com

The goal here should be to spend as much time as possible in Quadrant II, so you can plan your tasks and have lots of time to focus on setting and accomplishing goals.

I would personally categorize activities such as gossip, griping, backbiting, and rumor mongering as definite Quadrant IV activities (it's funny how they would actually be classified into a category of things deemed as "pleasurable," but draw your own conclusions).  They are time wasters, and they decrease one's efficiency greatly.

Set goals for yourself, and work to achieve those goals.  You will find that the more time you spend planning and goal setting, the more fulfilled you'll feel when you accomplish your goals, and the more time you'll free up for the things you really deem "quality time."

Best wishes,

Victor