Control Your Own Destiny Or Someone Else Will An Underlying Principle: Effectiveness requires balancing important relationships, roles and activities. Key Paradigms: “Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” “I fulfill my mission by acting on important goals in my key roles.”

Habit 3: Put First Things First

WHAT’S MY LOCUS OF CONTROL? (What controls my choices) High Internal – I am the master of my fate – I control my choices High External – I am a pawn to my fate – Other people or things control my choices

Habit 3 Put First Things First Prioritize Actions flow from that which is important. This habit helps teens prioritize and manage their time so that they focus on and complete the most important things in their lives. Putting first things first also means learning to overcome fears and being strong during difficult times. It’s living life according to what matters most. Use Your Assignment Notebook DAILY!

Habit 3: Put First Things First I am a: Procrastinator – I always put things off Yes-man – I say yes to everything but don’t always follow through Slacker – I don’t do anything Prioritizer – I use my assignment notebook and do what I need to do Procrastinator Prioritizer Will your life fit more if you organize yourself better. As the diagram suggests we can be anyone of four types. As I go through them, ask yourself, “Which quadrant do I spend most of my time in?” Procrastinator: All things are both urgent and important. They put things off until they are a ‘stress case’ They are addicted to urgency until it becomes a crisis. They often say they thrive under pressure. Results - stress and anxiety, burnout, mediocre performance The Yes-Man: Things are urgent but not important. Usually trying to please others. Loaded down with activities that are important to other people but not important to themselves - would like to say no…but don’t. They often cave into peer pressure because they do not have enough courage or backbone to turn others down. Results - reputation as a ‘pleaser’, lack discipline, feel like a doormat Slacker: Nothing is important or urgent. The professional loafer who is often a big couch potato or a walking TV guide. Wastes a lot of time. Results - lacks responsibility, guilt, flakiness. Prioritizer: things are important but not urgent. EXCELLENCE! Takes a little more planning. They have got it together and do their best work. Avoids stress and burnout. People who matter come first and life is balanced. Can say no with a smile. Resist peer pressure and come to be respected for it. Results - control of life, balance, high performance. We all spend time in each quadrant, key is to get into the Prioritizer! ROCKS demonstration Planner (agenda): highly recommend good use, that’s why period 8. Designed to help you free up your time by being organized. Plan weekly: take 15 minutes Sunday night to plan your week. Step one: Identify your BIG rocks. What are the most important things you need to do this week? 10-15 at the most. Step two: block in time for the big rocks. Step three: fit in the pebbles, the little everyday things that suck up your time - chores, phone calls, computer time, tv Step four: start to identify the SAND in your life, those little things that can negatively take up a lot of time and become really bothersome if allowed to persist. Step five: Remember there is always room for water (special occasions/emergencies) even if you think your life is full! Adapt daily: be flexible, you may need to rearrange one of the few things that cannot be recycled is wasted time. On her deathbed Queen Elizabeth the first wished “All my possession for one moment of time.” Yes-Man Slacker As I go through them, ask yourself, “Which quadrant do I spend most of my time in?”

Procrastinator: All things are both urgent and important . Procrastinator: All things are both urgent and important. They put things off until they are a ‘stress case’ They are addicted to urgency. They often say they thrive under pressure. Results - stress and anxiety, burnout, mediocre performance. The Yes-Man: Things are urgent but not important. Usually trying to please others. Loaded down with activities that are important to other people but not important to themselves - would like to say no…but don’t. They often cave into peer pressure because they do not have enough courage or backbone to turn others down. Results - reputation as a ‘pleaser’, lack discipline, feel like a doormat.

Slacker: Nothing is important or urgent Slacker: Nothing is important or urgent. The professional loafer who is often a big couch potato or a walking TV guide. Wastes a lot of time. Results - lacks responsibility, guilt, flakiness. Prioritizer: things are important but not urgent. EXCELLENCE! Takes a little more planning. They have got it together and do their best work. Avoids stress and burnout. People who matter come first and life is balanced. Can say no with a smile. Resist peer pressure and come to be respected for it. Results - control of life, balance, high performance. We all spend time in each quadrant, key is to get into the Prioritizer!

Fill in (other tasks) pebbles/sand/water Habit 3 ... a demonstration. What is the lesson? Identify big rocks(Prioritize important tasks) and schedule these FIRST! Fill in (other tasks) pebbles/sand/water

Plan weekly: take 15 minutes Sunday night to plan your week. Step one: Identify your BIG rocks. What are the most important things you need to do this week? 10-15 at the most. Step two: block in time for the big rocks. Step three: fit in the pebbles, the little everyday things that suck up your time - chores, phone calls, computer time, tv Step four: start to identify the SAND in your life, those little things that can negatively take up a lot of time and become really bothersome if allowed to persist. Step five: Remember there is always room for water (special occasions/emergencies) even if you think your life is full! Adapt daily: be flexible, you may need to rearrange - one of the few things that cannot be recycled is wasted time.

The Time Management Matrix Urgent Not Urgent Important I The ____________ Exam tomorrow Friend gets injured Late for work/class Project due today II The _____________ Planning, goal setting Paper due in a week Exercise Relationships/relaxation Not Important III The _____________ Unimportant phone calls Interruptions Other people’s small problems Peer pressure IV The ___________ Too much TV Endless phone calls Excessive computer games Mall marathons Other time wasters

Ineffective (doesn’t work well) Crisis Management Running around putting out fires

The Time Management Matrix Urgent Results: Stress Burnout Crisis management Always putting out fires Important I The Procrastinator

The Time Management Matrix Results: Short-term focus Crisis management Reputation-chameleon type character See goals and plans as worthless Feel victimized, out of control Shallow or broken relationships Urgent Not Important III The Yes-man

The Time Management Matrix Results: Total irresponsibility Fired from jobs Dependent on others or institutions for basics Not Urgent Not Important IV The Slacker

Ineffective (doesn’t work well) Jump to Others Wait for others to tell me what to do

Ineffective (doesn’t work well) Whimsical Do whatever you feel like doing

Ineffective (doesn’t work well) First Come - First Served Handle tasks in the order in which they arrive

Ineffective (doesn’t work well) Priority Meandering Start on task a get distracted resume on task b jump to task c

The Time Management Matrix Not Urgent Results: Vision, perspective Balance Discipline Control Few crises Important II The Prioritizer

Habit 3: Put first things first. Urgent Not Urgent Quadrant I Crises Deadline driven projects Pressing Problems Quadrant II: Preparation Prevention Commitment Relationship building Important Quadrant III Unimportant phone calls, email, meetings or reports Interruptions Quadrant IV Trivia Busy work Time wasters Not Important We want Quadrant II > Quadrant I. Quadrant II comes from Quadrants III and IV.  Estimate how much time you spend in Quadrant II (and what IS Quad IV for you?) ...  How do you plan your day? Datebook? Palm Pilot?  How much is your time worth to you, in dollars/hour?

Long - Term Organizing Mission Statement Roles Goals

Weekly Organizing Roles Goals Plans Schedule Delegate

Quote From Mr. Echols… “To get the best value from your education, do all of your homework to the best of your ability and turn it in on time!”

The END