First Things First - Deepstash

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ARNOLD ZACK

No One On His Deathbed Ever Said, ‘I Wish I Had Spent More Time On My Business’

ARNOLD ZACK

108

1.44K reads

Compass of your life

Compass of your life

Identify the few things that have a long-lasting positive impact on your life and prioritize them from now on. They will be your new compass for life. 

112

1.2K reads

Focus on the IMPORTANT - not the URGENT

Focus on the IMPORTANT - not the URGENT

There may be urgent tasks on your to-do list, but don't let these things keep you from what is truly important: your family, friends, and health.  

108

1.08K reads

4 Needs to be Happy

4 Needs to be Happy

  1. Need to live: food, shelter and health
  2. Need to learn: being intellectually stimulated
  3. Need to love: having people you can trust and care for
  4. Need to have a legacy: having a sense of purpose in life

Focus on your life's principles to meet these needs; they are your guiding compass, your north star. These principles must guide ALL your decisions, not just some.  

121

1K reads

Strong Vision of the Future

Strong Vision of the Future

Write a personal mission statement to guide you through tough times and hard decisions. Picture yourself at 80: What kind of life have you led? What makes you smile when you remember it?

Start by taking steps toward your desired future right now!

106

875 reads

On Goal-Setting

On Goal-Setting

Specify for each goal: 

  • what: the right thing
  • why: for the right reason
  • how: in the right way

Make sure your goal is under your influence and in alignment with both your principles and your vision for the future. Finally, your goal needs to be driven by importance, not urgency. 

105

823 reads

Weekly Planning

Weekly Planning

Make time for work, family, and leisure so that each of these vital areas gets their share of your attention. Plan the coming week on Sunday with the guiding help of your principles. This will give you a broader perspective when planning. 

101

723 reads

Interdependence/Cooperation Vs. Independence/Competition

Interdependence/Cooperation Vs. Independence/Competition

  • See the other people in your life as an opportunity to cooperate and create win-win situations. 
  • Rather than perceiving life as one big competition focus on the more positive outlook of one big cooperation effort where there is enough for everybody and where we help each other.

 

93

673 reads

HELEN KELLER

Alone we can do little; 

Together we can do so much!

HELEN KELLER

94

795 reads

Empower those you lead

Empower those you lead

Empower your kids or coworkers by focusing on a "high-trust culture". This is characterized by: 

  • Mutual trust
  • Mutual respect
  • Being honest with each other
  • Holding each other accountable
  • Giving and receiving feedback

99

693 reads

ARISTOTLE

The Whole is greater than the Sum of its parts. 

ARISTOTLE

91

769 reads

Connect - Don't compartmentalize

Connect - Don't compartmentalize

Combine your roles in life (work, family, leisure) by looking at the spots where they overlap and shifting your perspective to the WHOLE you. 

Maybe you want to exercise more but have to take care of your kids. An example of combined roles would be if you exercised together with them. 

99

645 reads

Inner Peace

Inner Peace

Preventers: 

  • Discouragement
  • Pride
  • Unrealistic expectations

Try focusing on humility and gratitude for what you already have. Put the important things first. Everything else will fall into place, as the last idea/parabola will show you. 

95

628 reads

The full jar

The full jar

Fill your jar in the following order: 

  • stones (your important things)
  • gravel (your urgent things)
  • sand (the other stuff in your life like material belongings)

If you would reverse the order, the stones wouldn't have a place in the jar. So always start with the most important things when planning ahead in your life. If you want to read the whole story just search for jar story online. 

104

657 reads

IDEAS CURATED BY

lukashoi

Lifelong Learning

CURATOR'S NOTE

This book has helped me to use my principles and vision for the future to make better decisions and find out what is truly important.

Different Perspectives Curated by Others from First Things First

Curious about different takes? Check out our book page to explore multiple unique summaries written by Deepstash curators:

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