“First Things First”

Based on the best selling book by Stephen R. Covey

Compiled by Warren Hunsberger

Teen Challenge Training Course 301.01

Tyranny of the Urgent
“The vital tasks rarely must be done
today, or even this week. The urgent task
calls for instant action. The momentary
appeal of these tasks seems irresistible
and they devour our energy. But in the
light of time’s perspective, their deceptive
prominence fades. With a sense of loss
we recall the vital task we pushed aside.
We realize we’ve become slaves to the
tyranny of the urgent.”
Teen Challenge Training Course -- Charles Hummel
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Traditional Response
Time Management-- Clock vs.
Compass

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Problem with Time Management
“Doing more things faster is no substitute
for doing the right things.”
-- A. Roger Merrill

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Four Generations of Time
Management
Notes and checklists
Calendars and appointment books
Daily planning, prioritizing, and goal
setting

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Fourth Generation Time
Management
Encompasses the best of Generations 1,
2, and 3, but moves far beyond
“A shift of the mind: doing things right gets
efficiency, but doing the right things gets
effectiveness.”

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We want to focus on
EFFECTIVENESS, in
lieu of Efficiency

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Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

Importance
Balance in our roles
Weekly organizing
Life leadership

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Traditional vs. 4th Generation
Time Management
Traditional 4th Generation
Efficiency Effectiveness
Practices Principles
Management Leadership
Schedules Relationships
Urgent Things First Things
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URGENCY INDEX

URGENT NOT URGENT

IMPORTANT I II

NOT III IV
IMPORTANT

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URGENCY INDEX

URGENT NOT URGENT

IMPORTANT I II

REACTION PROACTIVE

NOT III IV
IMPORTANT
DECEPTION WASTE

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Where Do We Want to Live?

Quadrant II does not act on

us; we must act on it.
This is the quadrant of quality
and personal leadership.
Move into Quadrant II by using
the six-step process each
week.
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The Complete Six-Step Process

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The Complete Six-Step Process
Connect to Mission
Review Roles
Identify Goals
Organize Weekly
Exercise Integrity
Evaluate

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 Step 1: Connect to Mission
“If a man knows not what harbor he seeks,
any wind is the right wind.”
--Seneca
“We don’t invent our mission; we detect it.”
--Viktor Frankl

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What does “connect” mean?
Develop a personal mission statement
 What is most important in your life?
 What are called to be and do?
Connect to your mission weekly reviewing,
pondering, or memorizing your mission
statement.

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What are the benefits of truly
connecting to your personal
mission?

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 Step 2: Review Roles

Identify and review the roles in your life.

 Key relationships
 Key areas of responsibility

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 Step 3: Identify Goals

What is the most important thing I could do

in each role this week that would have the
greatest positive impact?
My weekly goals can be either an area of
focus or a specific activity I schedule.
They are driven by conscience.

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 Step 4: Organize Weekly

Every week, my life is centered around the

FIRST THINGS I have identified and not
things that just “come my way.”

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Step 5: Exercise Integrity in the
Moment of Choice

Organizing in this way gives me the

courage to say “NO” to urgent, less-
important things.
I have the freedom to stick with my plan or
change it because I’m centered on my
FIRST THINGS.

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 Step 6: Evaluate
What worked?
Where did I blow it?
What do I do different this week as I grow?
Am I on target?
What patterns do I see in my life?
What did I learn from last week as a
whole?

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Review Roles: Step 2 in the 6-
Step Process

“Every man has only enough strength to

complete those assignments that he is
fully convinced are important.”
Goethe

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Balance:
Weekly
Compass

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What are our Roles?

You live your life in terms of roles

Roles: authentic parts you’ve been called
to fill.
Roles represent responsibilities,
relationships, and areas of contribution.

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 What are our Roles? (cont.)
You may have important roles in Christian
faith, at work, in the family, in community
or other areas of life.
Your roles grow out of and contribute to
the fulfillment of your personal mission.

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How Many?

It is recommended that you combine

functions, if necessary, to keep your total
number of active roles to no more than
seven.
You may have less.
Some of your roles may be permanent,
some may change occasionally.

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“Sharpen the Saw”

In addition to the roles you’ve identified,

we suggest a separate and foundational
role called Sharpen the Saw.
You need to invest time increasing your
personal capacity in four fundamental
areas.

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Four Fundamental Areas

Spiritual
Physical
Social/Emotional
Mental

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Sharpen the Saw

Your personal development role

Your role to yourself

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Step 3: Identify Goals

“The highest reward for a person’s toil

is not what they get for it, but what they
become by it.”
John Ruskin
How to Set Weekly Goals
Ask yourself, “What is the most
important thing I could do in each role
this week that would have the
greatest positive impact?”
Consider your relationships for each
role.
Review your “Perhaps List” for ideas.
Identify the steps that need to be
taken to achieve long-term goals.
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“Perhaps List”

Don’t forget great ideas!

Keep a list of things you might want to do
for each role.
These are not commitments.
Perhaps you’ll do them -- perhaps you
won’t.

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Long-Term Goals

Record your long-term goals for each role.

Review your “Perhaps List” for ideas.
Long-term goals provide a link between
your personal mission statement and
weekly goals.

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Setting Effective Long-Term
Goals
Ask yourself three vital questions:
 What do I want to accomplish?
 Why do I want to do it?
 How will I do it?

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Distinctive Elements of
Effective Weekly Goals
They can be either an area of focus or a
specific activity you schedule.
They are usually Quadrant II goals rather
than typical to-dos or daily action items.
They are driven by conscience.

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Step 4: Organize Weekly

“A major part of successful living lies in

the ability to put first things first.
Indeed, the reason most major goals
are not achieved is that we spend
our time doing second things first.”
Robert J. McKain

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The Perspective of the Week

The perspective of the week

provides a powerful solution that
links the close-up view of the day
to the big picture in a balanced,
realistic way.

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 The “Normal View”

The week becomes

the “normal view”
that gives the most
accurate perspective
for creating a
balanced, quality
life.
7
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Step 5: Exercise Integrity
in the Moment of Choice
“The greatest value of the process is
not what it does to your schedule, but
what it does to your head.”
Stephen R. Covey
The Space Between Stimulus
and Response
Reactive Model vs. Proactive Model

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Reactive Model

STIMULUS RESPONSE

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 Proactive Model

Moment
STIMULUS of RESPONSE

Choice

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Teen Challenge Training Course 301.01
“First Things First”
Based on the best selling book by Stephen R. Covey

Compiled by Warren Hunsberger

For more information about this course and

other training resources:
Contact
Global Teen Challenge via email at
GTC@Globaltc.org
Or visit our training website at
iTeenChallenge.org