First Things First. A wonderful book of literature of management of time. Stephen R.
Covey, A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill, synthesize years of study and
practice in human development with millions of people and organizations around
the world in a challenging book about the way people see and feel time and
life. Many themes are approached like the paradigm of “Importance X Urgency”;
The causes and consequences of "Urgency Addiction", a
psychological dependence as powerful and destructive as the addiction for
chemical substances; The paradigm of the common denominator of
human nature, in the authors’ opinions, all human action, doesn''t import the
cultural, genetic or psychological background that we have, can be framed
inside our 4 needs and essential capacities: to live, to learn, to love and to
leave a legacy that are the "simple roots” of all complexity in life; The
larger power of Universal Principles, natural laws of character and
effectiveness that are above the systems of personal and social values that
people possess. According to the authors'' approach, the principles govern the
consequences of our actions, we’re not in control, the principles are. To think
we’re in control can lead us to arrogance, those how believe to be in charge
actually learn how to live by a few principles that made them to reach certain
results; The matrix of time; The Quadrant 2 system of time management.
In details they also make talk about the incredible impact that a
future vision of ourselves can exercise in our roles, goals and quality of
live; How we organized our live around our true roles, As we achieve principle
base goals; The difference a weekly (and not just daily) perspective can cause in
our perception about time and priorities; How we can strengthen ourselves to
create a true spiral of continuous development in our lives;
In final part of book reside the authors’ opinions in relation of the principles of
interdependence. Verifiable in the human history from the oldest written
documents and also contained in the constitutions and value systems of all
great civilizations that resist and prosper; The cancer of proud to conscience.
A book full of true histories, true life lessons for people who’s trying to be
more effective and not just more efficient in live. Efficient means to do more
things, faster and in less time; To be effective means to do the first things
first, to begin with the development of our character and humanity.