First Things First

“We are free to choose our actions, . . . but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.”

“Consequences are governed by principles, and behavior is governed by values, therefore, value principles!”

“Best way to predict your future is to create it.”

“It’s not enough to dream. It’s not enough to try. It’s not enough to set goals or climb ladders. It’s not enough to value. The effort has to be based on practical realities that produce the result. Only then can we dream, set goals, and work to achieve them with confidence.”

“When we talk about time management, it seems ridiculous to worry about speed before direction, about saving minutes when we may be wasting years.”

“Doing more things faster is no substitute for doing the right things.”

“what we believe about ourselves and our purpose has a powerful impact on how we live, how we love, and what we learn.”

“it is that a meaningful life is not a matter of speed or efficiency. It’s much more a matter of what you do and why you do it, than how fast you get it done.”

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

“THE URGENCY ADDICTION Some of us get so used to the adrenaline rush of handling crises that we become dependent on it for a sense of excitement and energy. How does urgency feel? Stressful? Pressured? Tense? Exhausting? Sure. But let’s be honest. It’s also sometimes exhilarating. We feel useful. We feel successful. We feel validated. And we get good at it. Whenever there’s trouble, we ride into town, pull out our six shooter, do the varmint in, blow the smoke off the gun barrel, and ride into the sunset like a hero. It brings instant results and instant gratification. We get a temporary high from solving urgent and important crises. Then when the importance isn’t there, the urgency fix is so powerful we are drawn to do anything urgent, just to stay in motion. People expect us to be busy, overworked. It’s become a status symbol in our society—if we’re busy, we’re important; if we’re not busy, we’re almost embarrassed to admit it. Busyness is where we get our security. It’s validating, popular, and pleasing. It’s also a good excuse for not dealing with the first things in our lives. “I’d love to spend quality time with you, but I have to work. There’s this deadline. It’s urgent. Of course you understand.” “I just don’t have time to exercise. I know it’s important, but there are so many pressing things right now. Maybe when things slow down a little.”

“because more important than how fast you’re going, is where you’re headed.”

“Basing our happiness on our ability to control everything is futile. While we do control our choice of action, we cannot control the consequences of our choices.”

“The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities—what we do with, and how we manage our time.”

“Urgency addiction is a self-destructive behavior that temporarily fills the void created by unmet needs. And instead of meeting these needs, the tools and approaches of time management often feed the addiction. They keep us focused on daily prioritization of the urgent.”

“There’s no way we can escape accountability. We do make a difference—one way or the other. We are responsible for the impact of our lives.”

“IF you were to pause and think seriously about the “first things” in your life—the three or four things that matter most—what would they be?”

“Changing a planning tool or a method won’t create significant change in the results we’re getting in our lives—although the implied promise is that it will. It’s not a matter of controlling things more, better, or faster; it’s questioning the whole assumption of control.”

“compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction—what we feel is important and how we lead our lives.”

“What you alone can contribute, no one else can contribute. Viktor Frankl said we don’t invent our mission; we detect it. It’s within us waiting to be realized.”

“How Many People on Their Deathbed Wish They’d Spent More Time at the Office?”

“It’s easy to say “no!” when there’s a deeper “yes!” burning inside.”

“While we do control our choice of action, we cannot control the consequences of our choices.”

“The struggle comes when we sense a gap between the clock and the compass—when what we do doesn’t contribute to what is most important in our lives.”

“When we set and achieve goals that are in our Center of Focus, we maximize the use of our time and effort. Interestingly, we find that as we do this over time, our Circle of Influence automatically increases. We find positive ways to influence more people and circumstances.”

“Principles are the simplicity on the far side of complexity.”

“We can educate our conscience by: • reading and pondering over the wisdom literature of the ages to broaden our awareness of the true north principles that run as common themes throughout time • standing apart from and learning from our own experience • carefully observing the experience of others • taking time to be still and listen to that deep inner voice • responding to that voice It’s not enough just to listen to conscience; we must also respond. When we fail to act in harmony with our inner voice, we begin to build a wall around the conscience that blocks its sensitivity and receptivity. As C. S. Lewis observed, “disobedience to conscience makes conscience blind.”

“Keeping a personal journal empowers you to see and improve, on a day-by-day basis, the way you’re developing and using your endowments. Because writing truly imprints the brain, it also helps you remember and apply the things you’re trying to do. In addition, it gives you a powerful contextual tool. As you take occasion—perhaps on a mission statement renewal retreat—to read over your experiences of past weeks, months, or years, you gain invaluable insight into repeating patterns and themes in your life.”

“The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing”