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1-Page Summary of The 5 Choices
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Technology has made it possible to do more in less time. This leaves people with little time for their families and friends, as they’re always busy doing something else. The author believes that technology is the cause of this problem because it makes us feel like we need to be constantly connected via our smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.
A lot of people struggle with decision making, as they face so many important decisions to make every day. They may try to tackle each problem individually, but that can become overwhelming when there are too many choices and distractions. People need a better strategy for handling the onslaught of decisions in their lives.
Most people spend about 40% of their workday on low-value activities. These distractions and demands may also keep them from producing their best work. To be able to bring your whole self to the job, learn how to consciously allot your time and manage your decision making, attention and energy.
Five Choices
Five choices can help you manage your time better. They are:
Choice 1: “Act on the Important. Don’t React to the Urgent.”
The brain consists of two parts: the reactive and the thinking. The reactive part responds immediately, intuitively, and on a pleasure level. It’s responsible for forming habits. The thinking part handles conscious decision making on how to spend time throughout your day.
Use the Time Matrix model as a framework to determine which tasks you need to do and which ones you can delegate. The four quadrants are:
Quadrant 1: “Necessity” – Activities with the highest priority go here. These are urgent and unplanned issues that could have adverse effects on your work if you don’t deal with them. Try to spend less time in this quadrant.
Quadrant three is for tasks that don’t contribute to your goal. They’re urgent, but not important. Decrease the amount of time you spend in this quadrant and focus only on the things that matter most.
Quadrant 4: “Waste” – Activities that are not necessarily bad, but unnecessary and distracting from the main tasks should be placed in quadrant four. These activities can be eliminated altogether. Planning your time through this process will make you more productive because it will decrease the effort you have to expend on crises and problems. It also gives you confidence as you focus on high-value activities. Your stress level will drop as you get rid of distractions and focus on what is important to accomplish with your time. To move input from the reactive brain to the thinking brain, follow a process called “Pause-Clarify-Decide” (PCD). Identify when those split second decisions are made about what action needs taken or not taken, then ask yourself if it is important, before deciding where it goes in one of the four categories; 1st priority, 2nd priority, 3rd priority or waste category/quadrant 4. If an activity doesn’t belong in Q1 or Q2, prioritize another task that is more immediately necessary
Choice 2: “Go for the Extraordinary. Don’t Settle for Ordinary”
To get things done, you need to focus on what’s important. You can do that by clarifying your priorities and deciding which activities belong in Quadrant 2 (important and urgent) versus Quadrant 3 (not so important but still urgent). To decide between those two quadrants, you might want to consider all the roles you play in life: being a spouse or parent, working at your job, or filling another role like being a good friend. Write down those vital roles on a “life wheel” diagram to visualize how they intersect.
Your roles in life give you a sense of purpose. What do you see as success for each role? Write down your goals and what actions will get you there. These should be measurable, achievable goals with deadlines that are realistic and attainable. Use the formula “From X to Y by When.” For example, “Increase my personal savings rate from 15% to 20% of my income by January 1.”
