ABOUT THE BOOK

First Things First by Stephen R Covey is New York Times Bestseller time management guide developed using Covey's principles of value-driven decision making originally set forth in the blockbuster The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The title of the book comes from the summary of the third habit, Keep First Things First, that is, make sure the most important things in your life are actually your highest priority.

In the introduction, Covey describes the genesis of First Things First in this way: through our work at the Covey Leadership Center, we've been in contact with many people from around the world and we're constantly impressed with what they represent. They're active, hard-working, competent, caring people dedicated to making a difference. Yet these people consistently tell us of the tremendous struggle they face daily while trying to put first things first in their lives.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kelli Dunham (kellidunham.com) is a registered nurse and author of four books of nonfiction, including The Boys Body Book and the Girls Body Book (both from Applesauce Press) and How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School (FA Davis) an American Journal of Nursing 2005 Book of the Year. She is also a stand up comic and has been seen on Showtime, the Discovery Channel and the occasional livestock auction.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

For many of us, theres a gap between the compass and the clock-between whats deeply important to us and how we spend our time. And this gap is not closed by traditional time management approach of doing more things faster. In fact, many of us find that increasing our speed only makes things worse.

In How Many People On Their Deathbed Wish They'd Spent More Time At The Office were introduced to the guiding concept of First Things First,: the difference between making daily decisions based on the clock versus making daily decisions based on the compass. The clock, Covey explains, represents what we do and how we manage our time. Things like schedules, goals, meetings, items that generally get written on to-do lists: that's what First Things First calls clock items.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- About the Book

- About the Author

- An Overall Summary

- Chapter-by-Chapter Summary and Analysis

- List of Important People

- Key Terms & Definitions

- Interesting Facts

- Sources

- Additional Reading

Stephen Covey's First Things First