Making time to make time
Effective, positive choices
“Juggling time” designed by me
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen Covey.
Stephen Richards Covey (1932 – 2012) was an American educator, author, businessman, and speaker. His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
I thought I’d revisit the above quote, which I had at the end of my recent Farmer’s Market / Friendship post. The quote inspired the above cartoon. Are we juggling time, or do we use time like a compass to guide us on the path towards our priorities? Are we reactive or proactive? Being proactive is a key feature in Covey’s book – taking responsibility for our actions, choosing to act positively and improve situations. I agree with this approach.
Many of us may fall into the trap of rushing around, trying to accomplish a lot of things. Our schedule can take over, feel overwhelming, and leave us feelings of stress.
Over the years, and with the aid of good counselling, I’ve learned how to shift my focus. I identify my values: I am clear on what is important to me. I have a better understanding of who I want to be, for myself and for others. This isn’t a static portrait. It changes with time and circumstance. Yet, the core values remain constant: curiosity, self-growth, kindness, fairness, and empathy. And then I act according to those values.
So, I am learning to prioritize what is important to me, to focus on those things and to schedule them first in my day. Thus, I have a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as I tick off those boxes.
Covey developed a decision matrix which is helpful in setting priorities. Think how you could adapt it in your own life.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:7_habits_decision-making_matrix.png#/media/File:7_habits_decision-making_matrix.png
Author: Davidjcmorris
I tend to view the issue of “urgency” through the lens of “my values.” Not always is the world’s urgency MY urgency. This gives me the element of choice in what I do.