He warned we needed to find time for the important roles in our life: Husband, Father, Son, Partner, Friend, Citizen, Author, Self. Roles warrant their own priorities in our model of time management. He also inserted the critical concept of ‘Roles’ into his model of time management. Perhaps anti-grav belts will one day show us a higher law, but for now, gravity rules. No amount of argument will change the law of gravity as I slip off of a roof. He argued we can’t really break universal laws we can only break ourselves against them. He believed in universal truths, he called them ‘Principles.’ They were a necessary addition to the agnostic and relativistic ‘Values’ of the Level Three disciples. Covey was a proponent of inside-out, or the ‘character ethic,’ ahead of outside-in, the ‘personality ethic.’īoth are important, but first things first. I won’t spoil the read of either of these two landmark books, but the key is focusing proactively on Quadrant Two, important but not urgent, lessening Quadrant Three, not important but urgent, and killing Quadrant Four, not important and not urgent, by saying that all important word, “No.”ĭr. The Quadrant Four Model is very powerful. Covey's Time-Management Matrix from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He added the fourth level or four quadrants to be exact:įigure 1: Stephen R. But in fairness to Franklin, they had values and goals clear back in Level 3. He often spoke of Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals. He promoted time management to a whole new level. Covey on the day he passed away is still one of my most commented articles… he changed people’s lives all over the world in a way few have. I love the version so I can listen to his voice again. Covey, probably one of the most copied titles or headlines, and one of the most impactful books ever written. I just listened again to 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Level 4 Time Management is Week-at-a-Glance: Mission, Vision, Roles and Principles My favorite app, Evernote, hasn’t addressed tasks yet. Electronic devices are great for scheduling and managing contacts but still struggle in tasks and notes. The planner is still very good for managing tasks and taking handwritten notes. Many people are going back and using inserts to fit their iPhone, Android, or iPad into their trusty planner. This is highly efficient, and largely effective.Ī Franklin Day Planner is one of the best time management tools ever invented. Then you prioritize them A (must do), B (should do), and C (could do.) Then if you have time you put a rank order on your A’s, B’s, and C’s with a 1, 2, 3, etc. You set long-range goals, break them down into intermediate goals, and then break them down into bite-sized daily tasks which you write in your Day Planner. So how does the Productivity Pyramid work? He wrote a defining statement after each one. He worked on one per week for thirteen weeks, then started over, four times a year.Īt the end of his life he said he believed he achieved each of those values, except humility, but that one wasn’t really his anyway. A Quaker friend of his looked them over and commented he really should add humility, so he did. I remember we taught the story of how Ben Franklin outlined twelve values he deeply believed in. I guess this level of time management would have helped them both be more productive. Good or bad.īoth Gandhi and Hitler had governing values. What are Governing Values? They are what matters most in your life.Īnything you care about is a governing value. Their Productivity Pyramid built Long-Range Goals, Intermediate Goals, and Daily Tasks on a foundation of Governing Values. The Productivity Pyramid by Franklin CoveyĪn event is the basic building block of time.Īn event is a task with a date and time (a deadline) attached.įranklin Quest taught us that controlling the events of our lives brings peace of mind.

Ben franklin daily schedule pdf