First Things First

by Stephen R. Covey

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.

This baby is the first thing in your life right now. Just enjoy the baby and don’t worry. Be governed by your internal compass, not by some clock on the wall.

a generation of personal leadership.

Decisions are easier when it’s a question of “good” or “bad.” We can easily see how some ways we could spend our time are wasteful, mind-numbing, even destructive. But for most of us, the issue is not between the “good” and the “bad,” but between the “good” and the “best.” So often, the enemy of the best is the good.

“What is needed out there, and what is my unique strength, my gift?”

What is “best” for you? What keeps you from giving those “best” things the time and energy you want to give them? Are too many “good” things getting in the way? For many people, they are. And the result is the unsettling feeling that they’re not putting first things first in their lives.