Archive for January, 2014

Priorities

This month, I’ve pulled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey off my bookshelf.  Though I’ve read it a few times, each time I re-read it, I discover something new that inspires me.  This time, I’ve given a lot of thought to the time management matrix which classifies activities by urgency and importance.  Like many people, my time is consumed by urgent tasks, though not all may be important.  Often neglected are less urgent, but deeply important activities that move me toward accomplishing my long-term goals. In a deadline-driven profession like accounting, it is easy fall into the mode of “putting out fires” with tasks that require immediate attention.  How do I make sure I get around to doing the less urgent, yet extremely important, activities of personal development and relationship building?  I found the answer in the book:
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.