Last week I started listening to the podcast “Barbell Business”. The same guys that host “Barbell Shrugged” are the very ones that star in “Barbell Business”. The show is directed at gym owners and fitness experts, but the show I listened to last week could be applied in the lives of us all. The show was all about time management, and they were referencing a book by Stephen Covey called 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
I read this book many years ago, but hearing this podcast reminded me about the four quadrants that people spend time in. It was a real eye opener for me, so I wanted to share it with all of you. What you spend your time on is directly correlated with your success. There is no doubt in that statement.
Quadrant I is the urgent and important section. These are the necessity driven activities, and the key action is to manage. These are crises type activities that require your attention now. Some examples of this are deadlines at work, medical emergencies, and pressing problems. This quadrant will demand its own time, but I recommend being proactive to avoid these issues.
Quadrant II is the area that you should spend the most time on. This quadrant is the not urgent but important section. These are quality and personal leadership driven activities and the key action is focus. Some examples of these activities are worship, new opportunities, prevention, relationships, and recreation. Scheduling this time in your daily routine is a must when it comes to personal growth. All people that do things great find time for this quadrant. If you spend most of your life putting out fires, answering emails, or watching television, then you will never find time to grow as a person. This is the same for athletes as well. Great athletes will find time to train, recover, rest, and have fun. All of them will make time for Quadrant II.
Quadrant III is the urgent but not important activities. This quadrant could be labeled deception because most of these activities are draining. Try avoiding these activities or at least don’t get caught up with these activities. Examples of these are most emails, some phone calls, and frequent interruptions. Mr. Covey described these as urgency masquerading as important. Schedule a few minutes out of your day to answer emails, and otherwise avoid getting pulled away from important tasks.
Quadrant IV is the non-urgent and non-important section. This is the section that most of us get caught up in. Some examples of these tasks are some emails, text messages, some phone calls, television, and social media. These are escapist activities that allow us to avoid the important parts of life. People who find themselves dealing with these sorts of activities a majority of the time will never be successful, and will probably always wonder why that they are not. I call this the “zombie section”. People just get caught up like a bug flying towards a light. They can’t control themselves like a mindless zombie. Take control of your life back!
This is just a short summary of the time management section of the book. I recommend reading the book as it might just change your life. I also recommend listening to the “Barbell Business” Podcast. Those guys are awesome to give away the secrets that have made them so wildly successful. You can go to www.BarbellShrugged.com to listen to all of their different podcasts. Hanging around those dudes has been a life changing experience for me, and I think that it will be for you too.
To join our online Mash Mafia Weightlifting Team, go to: http://www.mashelite.com/join-the-online-team/. For a consultation from me about anything that you want to talk about, go to: http://www.mashelite.com/online-programming/.
Learn 2 Lift Seminars resume in August. We will be in Albuquerque and Minneapolis teaching people all about the barbell. Go to, www.MashElite.com/seminars/ to find out more. Message me for information regarding hosting a seminar!
For the “I Do What I Want” T-Shirts and the sweet new Mash Mafia Wrist Wraps, go to: www.MashElite.com/apparel/
