URGENT / IMPORTANT NEIL LANGNER OCTOBER 2005.

URGENT NOT URGENT
IMPORTANT Quadrant I Activities
• Crises
• Pressing problems
• Deadline driven projects

Leads to:
1. Stress
2. Burnout
3. Crises Management
4. Fire Fighting
Feeling helpless as you await the next catastrophe to strike.

Always feeling and acting like a VICTIM of circumstances Quadrant II Activities
• Relationship Building
• Planning
• Giving Thanks/Recognition
• Rest & Recreation

Leads to:
1. Vision
2. Balance
3. Discipline
4. Priorities
• God
• Spouse
• Children
• Self
• Community
• Workplace
Knowing that GOD is in control.
Being fully reliant on HIM.
Knowing that whatever your circumstances, it will bring glory to GOD.
NOT IMPORTANT Quadrant II Activities
• Interruptions
• Phone Calls & e-mail
• Watching TV

Leads to:
1. Short term focus
2. Concern about reputation
3. Seeing goals as worthless
4. Severe feelings of victimization Quadrant IV Activities
• Trivia
• Time Wasting
• Loitering
• Feeding Self only


Leads to:
1. Irresponsibility
2. Missing appointments
3. Dependence on others for basics
4. Loss of job/responsibilities
5. Divorce
6. Vagrancy

No one lives exclusively in only one quadrant.

Successful people however manage to prioritize Quadrant II activities into their life routine. These activities are non-negotiable. You can move all the other things or cancel them, but not these. This is the things that really matter to your GOD and to you. When you do them, other activities will take on the correct priority.

Remember, we see things not as they are, but as we are! (From our frame of reference)

To say that you cannot teach an old dog a new trick, is an insult to old dogs.

We are creatures of habit. Good habits and bad habits(also called addictions).

Good Habits Bad Habits (Addictions)
Daily quiet time
Healthy living
Positivity
Commitment
Savoring Life
Watching TV all day
Laziness
Negativity
Disinterest
Being Bored
Etc…

But new habits can be learnt and bad habits can be changed!

There are 4 levels of awareness:

1. UNconscious INcompetence

We do not know that what we are doing is a bad habit that has negative consequences.
Example: We do not brush our teeth before going to bed at night, resulting in a foul breath and tooth decay.

Then someone lovingly helps us see the negative impact of this on self and others and we become Consciously Incompetent.

2. CONscious INcompetence
We now know that not brushing your teeth before going to bed at night is wrong and makes it unpleasant for others who share the house and causes tooth decay.

To make brushing teeth before bed a new habit, you need to initially have a REMINDER every night to brush your teeth. This can be in the form of a note on you pillow, gentle reminder from a spouse, brother, sister or child. (Others who already have this good habit).

This makes one become Consciously Competent!

3. CONscious COMpetence
Time and repetition will make this activity become an involuntary action. Something you will do without having to be reminded. Like driving a car. Do you still need reminding how this is done or is it automatic and natural?

Once you have achieved this, you will become Unconsciously Competent.

4. UNconscious COMpetence
You do the right things naturally, it is part of you, like breathing. In the first 7 years of a childs life, most habits are implanted by their parents. To create new ones and break bad ones will require more effort, but can be achieved by understanding the 4 levels of consciousness.