THE FOUR QUADRANTS
WHERE TIME IS SPENT AND THE RESULTS (OR SYMPTOMS)


Complete this form, to see where you are at and what needs to be changed.

You spend all your awake time doing something. Even doing nothing is doing something. The "something"s that you do can be simply categorized: they are urgent or not urgent and also important or not important. It is the mix of urgency with importance that puts the "something"s you do into one of Covey’s quadrants. (An expanded version of these are here.)






 












 


Based on the results, using the following rating system, rate yourself as too how much you have lived in these Quadrants:  (Use 5 = Alot, 4 = too much, 3 = a bit too much,  2 = not too bad,   1 = operating pretty optimally.)   And then choose which you will increase or reduce - use an up arrow or a down arrow.

QUADRANT I                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                         Reduce/
                                                                                                                  Rating             Increase?

I live in a world of stress, burnout, exhaustion, always
    putting out fires.                                                                         5    4    3    2    1

To reduce this, spend alot more time in Quadrant II, frequently.


QUADRANT III                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                         Reduce/
                                                                                                                Rating               Increase?

I live in a world of short-term focus, crisis management,
    shallow/broken relationships, damaged reputation                     5    4    3    2    1

If this is a problem, prioritize, spending alot more time in Quadrant II, frequently.  You should drop as many of these as possible and put the time elsewhere.


QUADRANT IV                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                         Reduce/
                                                                                                                Rating               Increase?

I live in a world of my being very unproductive, total
     irresponsibility, dependency on others                                       5    4    3    2    1

To reduce this, spend alot more time in Quadrant II, frequently.  Eliminate virtually 100% of these from your life, for a much greater life.


QUADRANT II                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                         Reduce/
                                                                                                                Rating               Increase?

I live in a world of balance, discipline, control, few stresses              5    4    3    2    1

To increase this, schedule in alot more time in Quadrant II, more frequently.



ENTER THE QUADRANT NUMBER IN THE SPACE:

I am mostly a Quadrant ___ person, as I experience the results in that quadrant.

Secondarily, I also tend towards being a Quadrant ___ person, as I experience the results in that quadrant.


I am satisfied with that mix:                   ___ Yes;  ____ No
I am dissatisfied with that mix:               ___ Yes;  ____ No

___ I commit to upping my Quadrant II time by ___ hours a week, which I will
      have prescheduled.  (Recommended:  at least 2 - 5 hours.)
     ___ I realize that my quadrant I time in crises and stress will automatically
     decline and what is important to do will reside in Quadrant II, with no stress
      but high productivity
___ I commit to eliminating at least ___ hours a week of Quadrant III time. (5?)
___ I commit to eliminating ___ hours a week of Quadrant IV time (5+?)

___ As a part of Quadrant II, I will recalibrate and replan what I am doing to
      improve my life, so that those activities for improvement are much more
      productive.
     ___ I see that I am not making as much progress as I should from the time I
            am spending on this.  I know this because of the results I am getting in
            terms of symptoms. 

__ I would like to get the results of a person Living Life As A Life Champion.
    ___ I know that, to live as that person lives, I must do as he/she does.

___ I understand that a life champion:  Gets frequent feedback, adjusts for it quickly, fixes all problems quickly so have no big problems plus also quickly solves small problems/


WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

What is needed next is to put in place the time and structure to permit the effective reallocation of time to Quadrant II activities.  To do that, we must often free up time from useless activities and also from lesser importance activities (giving up some totally, in favor of putting higher value in its place). 

Assuming you have rated yourself (do now if you haven't), put a printed copy of the results in a file or notebook (see Notebook System).  (Send a copy to coach or partner.) 

Decide if you will do anything about it.  

Implement them:

My Low And High Payoff Activities - And Reallocating My Time To The Higher Ones.   

Read and make The One Decision:  Momentum In Improving Life

Insert the number of hours you will do in Quadrant II, using your version of The Pre-Set Super-Committed Schedule For The Day For An Always Powerful Day!  Not Optional! 

Go on to Life Value Productivity - Producing The Maximum Life In Your Life and follow the recommendations.







I - URGENT and IMPORTANT

Time Spent In: Pressing problems, crises, deadline-driven projects


Results in: Stress, burnout, always putting out fires, self-perpetuating downward spiral
II - IMPORTANT but NOT URGENT

Time Spent In: Prevention, self-improvement, relationship building, planning, exercise, recreation, high payoff activities

Results in: balance, discipline, control, few stresses

III – URGENT but NOT IMPORTANT

Time Spent In: Interruptions, unscheduled phone calls, pressing matters, popular activities

Results in: Short-term focus, crisis management, shallow/broken relationships, damaged reputation

IV – NOT IMPORTANT and NOT URGENT

Time Spent In: Distractions, irrelevancies, trivia, time wasters, pleasant activities

Results in: Being very unproductive, total irresponsibility, dependency on others

WHAT TO DO

__ Read the page.
__ Rate yourself.
__ Decide if
   improvement is
   needed.
__ Implement the
   improvement

(Detailed at end of the piece in What Do I
Do Next?)


The Four Quadrants - The Expanded Version - This includes more details about what is in the quadrants and what to do.

Living In The 5 Quadrants Of Quadrant II  - Expanding Quadrant II For More "Life Value Productivity" - Hang this up and make sure you do the super II's!


Importance Vs. Urgency - One Concept...Huge Differences In Life Success! 

QUADRANT II

Quadrant II Activities To Schedule In Regularly - You must set these up if you truly are to be successful in life!

I'm Experiencing Problems...And There Is No Time To Fix Them...I'm Screwed... - A false self-trap - and the way to get out of it.  At which point do we begin to stop the downward spiraling???


LIFE DIVIDED INTO  FOUR QUADRANTS

From a different view, about the quality of life and choosing the "aliveness" quadrant: The Four Quadrants/Domain Of Life - Which Do You Choose To Progress To? 

LIFE LEARNING

Read The Four Quadrants Of Learning - Which You Pick Will Determine Your Life!
 

QUADRANT III

If you do not choose to do Quadrant II of learning and choose how you will run your learning and your life, then you have actually, by default, chosen Quadrant III (full of junk).
That quadrant is "hit and run" learning - a terrible, terrible choice!