Good afternoon all,

At certain times in my life I have been introduced to tools or “life hacks” that have had a significant impact on the direction and outcome of my life.  I realise that there are many tools, many “hacks” and many processes that can add value to your working life (and to your journey as an entrepreneur).   Sometimes the season and challenges of your life call for the application of specific tools and inputs.

I thought about three books/tools that have been most significant to me to “shift”,  and would like to share them as possible encouragement. I will share these books and tools over the next three weeks…..

The first tool comes from Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 habits of highly effective people.

Although time seems to fly by, we all have the same 24 hours a day. So why is it that some people are able to accomplish so much more than the majority of the population? One possible explanation can be found in their skill to manage time more efficiently than others. But how is it possible to cope with the flood of tasks that all require our immediate attention? In a time where missing deadlines is not an option, the Covey time management grid can help you to manage your available time more efficiently. Covey’s matrix allows you to organize your priorities much better than before. Covey’s system makes use of four different quadrants that allow you to prioritize tasks in relation to their importance and urgency, helping you to decide whether you need to address a task immediately or if you can postpone it  (Thanks to Steve Mueller for review)

Tool-Covey’s Time management Matrix:

Managing time effectively is vital if you are to prosper as a business owner, especially when it comes to running a start- up, where you have deal with every aspect of the business.

Despite best intentions though, we’ve all got to the end of a day without achieving any of the tasks we intended to do at the start of the day.  There are many tips, tools and guides online and in print that deal with the age-old issue of time management. Most seem to over-complicate something that really shouldn’t be that complicated in principle, but Covey’s Matrix has stood the test time and is something that all business owners can benefit from.

 

The Time Management Matrix, Diagram

  • In Quadrant 1 (top left) we have important, urgent items – items that need to be dealt with
  • In Quadrant 2 (top right) we have important, but not urgent items – items that are important but do not require your immediate attention and need to be planned for.  This quadrant is emphasised because Covey highlights this is the quadrant that we should focus on for long term achievement of goals
  • In Quadrant 3 (bottom left) we have urgent, but unimportant items –  items which should be minimized or eliminated. These are the time sucks, the “poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part” variety of tasks.
  • In Quadrant 4 (bottom right) we have unimportant and also non urgent items – items that don’t have to be done anytime soon, perhaps adding little to no value and also should be minimized or eliminated. These are often trivial time wasters

Application

When I have incorporated this habit into my daily/weekly routine, it has literally increased my effectiveness in managing my time by at least 100%. It has also built the practice of focus on quadrant 2, the place of long- term planning and personal development and growth. I trust it is of value to you too.

Sharing great ideas and tools

Steve