Book Review- First Things First by Stephen R. Covey

“If you were to pause and think seriously about the “first things” in your life—the three or four things that matter most—what would they be?”

Despite our immediate challenges, we must always maintain sight of the 'first things' in life. This book, First Things First, published in 1994, offers wisdom that remains as pertinent today as it was then. Having read other works by Covey, I found this book to be a compelling addition to his collection.

First Things First, as the name suggests, is the stepwise guide to balancing personal and professional life. It is a not-typical motivational cum self-help book but somewhere in between management goals and personal growth. 

The concepts are explained with interesting diagrams, pictorial presentations, matrices, etc (a typical Covey Style!), e.g. Urgent-Important Matrix (prioritise tasks in terms of urgency and importance.), ABC method( identifying ‘A’ tasks, which are the top priority, ‘B’ or ‘secondary’ tasks, and the ‘C’ tasks, which would be nice to get done but are not imperative).

From reading the book, I learned that stopping to look at the clock and starting to look at the compass should be the primary lifestyle in personal life and the working style in official life. The call of the hour is to look at how we can work on what matters without burning ourselves out. The magnitude can vary, but we all should figure out what’s essential, prioritise those things in our lives, develop a vision for the future, build the right relationships, and become strong leaders, in personal space and professional area. 

Let us forget what’s urgent and focus only on what’s important. And accept that success comes from interdependence and cooperation, not independence and competition.

While this book is a valuable read for everyone, it is particularly beneficial for those who are just starting their journey of self-growth. In fact, I believe it should be mandatory reading for corporations, as it offers insights that can benefit both individuals and organizations.

Quotes-

“Consequences are governed by principles, and behavior is governed by values, therefore, value principles!”

“When we talk about time management, it seems ridiculous to worry about speed before direction, about saving minutes when we may be wasting years.”

“What you alone can contribute, no one else can contribute.”

“The greatest battles we fight are in the silent chambers of our own souls.”

And my favourite ...  

“The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing”