Stephen Covey - First Things First - Time Management

Following up on my Dale Carnegie's Leadership course and aspiring to become a Partner. I discovered Stephen Covey's First Things First and the 4 Quadrants on Time Management in a book store.
This bookstore was located in an upscale mall. At that time, I did not realise that the mall was upscale, since I frequented it to access different services. One of the main attractions was that the mall was close enough to walk to so that I got in some exercise. The walk was through a neighbourhood which was considered safe so that walking in that area when it was getting dark as it was prone to at six thirty in the evening was not a foolish choice and boy was there freedom, as I could alternate between walking and running just for the fun of it. 

Anyway, on reading the book, I decided that I would try to adopt the 4 Quadrant approach to managing my time. See the diagram on the right which is self explanatory. I looked at both diagrams carefully, and I decided I would prioritise. Me who had managed my work life quite successfully was now about to apply a different kind of structure.

Possibly it was the pending merger between two firms or some other reason, however this quadrant exercise was like the beginning of the end.

In short, I left a position that I had worked to reach in a dedicated way for a number of years. And there was a change in my life!!!

Update:  These days I use the concepts as expressed above and below  from time to time mixed in with my old style of getting things done. As good as it is, in providing expertise, knowledge, a good way to manage, it does not dictate how my day goes. It is good to have the knowledge of another way to do things, as, in knowledge there is power, however experience can provide skill which can also work for you and you always have the choice of using the works/acts of mercy/charity in your life..