[2/6] How to spend more time in the Quadrant II
Manage time effectively to focus on Quadrant 2 tasks, which will automatically shrink the workload for you in Quadrant 1 and 3. Learn it all in this article.
The quadrant II is important in order to be in control of your life, and to feel balanced. But often, we just don’t have time to spend in Quadrant II because some more urgent tasks take over. How do you spend more time in Quadrant II?
Finding more time for Quadrant II
Initially, the clear quadrants where you can find time for Quadrant II are Quadrant III and IV.
Quadrant IV are all the wasteful tasks. Here is an example on how to convert a Quadrant IV task into Quadrant II task: instead of watching TV tonight, you could organize a board game with your family or friends (relationship building, Quadrant II). Or instead of surfing the web tonight, you could make time to call a relative or go to the gym.
Changing a Quadrant III task for a Quadrant II task can be a bit trickier. One way to deal with a task is to not have to do a task in the first place. Say “No” (nicely) to tasks that are not important enough or delegate them when possible. For example, by putting earphones at work (even without music) people will be less inclined to interrupt you for small things.
As you spend more and more time in Quadrant II, your Quadrant I will shrink naturally from the benefits of being better prepared, being proactive and being properly rested.
Schedule your most important tasks first
It means that you need to schedule your important Quadrant II tasks before you get swamped by Quadrant I and III tasks.
At the start of every week, you should list your goals for the week and schedule them inside your week.
Exercise: use WEEK PLAN to set your goals for the week and schedule them in your week. For example, you could plan to go to the gym on Wednesday evening straight after work. That means you also need to prepare your gym bag on Tuesday evening.
The next article will talk about the importance of your roles in life.