Steven Covey developed this visual to help people decide how to prioritize tasks.

The more we live in the blue square, the less stressful life will be!

Important
Not Important
Urgent
Urgent and Important
Electric bill must be paid tomorrow, or power will be disconnected.
My spouse ran out of gas and is waiting for me to come with the gas can.
Urgent, but Not Important
My favorite TV show starts in 5 minutes
My friend has left a message asking me to call him back about a party that evening.
Not Urgent
Not Urgent, But Important
I'm secretly planning a surprise birthday trip for my spouse (birthday is 4 months away)
College Savings for my young children
Not Urgent and Not Important
I want to beat my high score in Tetris.
I want to read all the movie reviews for the local theater.


Pages with Info on Covey's Time Management Ideas