1. Time Management The four quadrant rule
Source - Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey

2. Few questions Do you find 24 hours to be less in a day
Do you often fail to meet the deadlines
Do you find time to be with your family and friends
Do you find relaxing time; reading time; playing time etc.
…….

3. Our time is normally divided into four categories / quadrants
Four Quadrants
Our time is normally divided into four categories / quadrants
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Quadrant 1
Quadrant 2
Not Important
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 4

4. Where do you spend your time
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Quadrant 1
Quadrant 2
Not Important
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 4

5. Example of a Student Urgent Not Urgent Important Not Important
Quadrant 1
Prepares for exam at the last minute
Quadrant 2 Prepares for exam well before the exam
Not Important
Quadrant 3
Spends most of the time in completing friends notes
Quadrant 4
A Lazy person not bothered of his / her exam

6. Example of an Executive
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Quadrant 1
Work done at the last minute
Quadrant 2
Work planned and executed well before the dead line
Not Important
Quadrant 3
Attending to friends phone call for 2 – 3 hours
Quadrant 4
A Lazy person – always sleeping and doing time pass

7. Quadrant 3 & 4
You now know what kind of persons lie in the quadrant 4 (Irresponsible / Lazy)
Quadrant 3 persons may be very hardworking but they do not succeed since they spend most of their time in doing unimportant things

8. Quadrant 1
Quadrant 1 persons are always in a hurry as they are doing jobs which are important and urgent
Since the quadrant 1 persons are always in a rush, they never find time and peace of mind
Their efficiency is never optimum (ask yourself when you do any thing in a rush do you get the perfect / required results)

9. Quadrant 2 Quadrant 2 people always plan their schedule well.
They set their own targets and complete the same before the deadlines
They have ample of time and peace of mind
Their efficiency is always very high (ask yourself – outcome of a job when it is done in a cool manner)

10. Reality
Not a single person in this world actually belongs to one particular quadrant.
Every persons time is divided in the four quadrants. For Example
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Quadrant 1
30%
Quadrant 2
Not Important
Quadrant 3
10%
Quadrant 4

11. An Ideal Mix Not Urgent Urgent Important Not Important Quadrant 1 5%
No matter how much you plan you will require some time to spend in this quadrant. So always be ready for it.
Spend most of the time in this quadrant. Move your time from other quadrant to this quadrant. Your efficiency will increase and so will your peace of mid
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Quadrant 1 5%
Quadrant 2
80%
Not Important
Quadrant 3
10%
Quadrant 4
Like it or not some of your time will be taken by Quadrant 3 and Quadrant 4, But one should keep the time in these two quadrants at its minimum