The 3 R’s of Decision-making
ByThis past week on Twitter, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite quotes on priorities and time management. Important topics for every generation, priorities and time management seem to become more and more crucial every decade.
Today, in the age of the smartphone and social media, even technology has joined the fight for our most precious commodity: TIME.
A few decades ago, I came up with three critical questions on priorities. They still serve me well today, and I hope they’re valuable to you.
Before any decision on where to invest my time, this is what I ask myself:
- What is REQUIRED of me? Any realistic assessment of priorities in any area of life must start with a realistic assessment of what you must do. For you to be a good spouse or parent, what is required of you? To satisfy your employer, what must you do? If you lead others, then what must you personally do that cannot be delegated to anyone else?
- What gives me the greatest RETURN? As you progress in your career, you begin to discover that some activities yield a much higher return for the effort than others. After determining requirements, focus on choices with a high return on investment (ROI).
- What gives me the greatest REWARD? If you do only what you must, along with what is effective, then you will probably be highly productive. But you may not be content. I think it’s also important to consider what gives you personal satisfaction.
Note: These questions are meant to be asked IN ORDER. Many of us would love to skip down to #3 and focus on the most rewarding/fun/exciting activities. But no one can be successful who doesn’t possess the discipline to take care of the first two areas before adding the third.
The time that you have on this earth is precious – every minute of it. As Ralph Waldo Emerson advised, “Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”
~Adapted from Today Matters
AWESOME.Thank you so much.Looking ahead to a brighter future.
I so needed that = ) Thank you for sharing. By the way I love your books! They have helped me grow so much.
The only thing that is more interesting and effective than reading your books is listening to you speak. The problem is not that we dont have knowledge, but that we don’t act up what we know. The fruit of one’s life is meant to nourish others. Thanks for sharing the fruits of your knowledge.
Great questions to ask. I often catch myself investing time in things that I later realize are not rewarding or fulfilling. Thanks for your teaching and leadership.
Thanks for 3′R advice. I have no problem finding the activity that will give us RETURN and REWARD, but I always have to rethink a lot about what is REQUIRED of me as it involves other peoples and their objective.
Thank you once again Currently I’m in the process of figuring what is a priority and what isn’t a priority Started a to-do list and just wrinting down what I do in a day. To help me know where my 24 hour day is going so I can focus more on the priorities once they are set
Thanks for reminding me how precious spare moments are in our lives.
I love this. Such a concise method.
I have for many years incorporated many of your thoughts into my work with people. Thank you for them.
I love these questions because they are the kind that will help people go a long way in maintaining good life balance in every area. The answers to these questions will also help people to maximize their gifts, talents and strengths for a more productive satisfying life.
Great insights as always!
Mr. Maxwell thank you so much for always sharing your wealth of wisdom. You push me to become a better me that enables me to push others. My God, My Life, My Time. Praying always for you and your family.
Excellent, memorable, and immediately implementable…thank you so much!
All of the R’s are valid but thank you for keeping the focus on family first (1. What is required of me). Pastors often find themselves so involved in “ministry” that family becomes secondary or even lower. I do appreciate the “note” at the end.
For me, time invested with God is time well spent. My most rewarding days are those that are God-centered rather than Me-centered. As I walk by faith, He fills the gaps in my busy day with His voice and His Presence. I’m thankful to have a Father who spends time with the children He loves. Obedience is Required, Faith is returned, His Presence is the Reward.
I always jump at any opportunity i get to read anything you write cos they are inspiring and life changing.thanks a lot for this,I’ll definitly pass it on.
I too am learning to “guard” my moments. These insights are very valuable to me as I desire to be the productive and fulfilled person I am meant to be.
Thanks John for this refreshing thoughts. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by what surrounds us & tend to forget those basic things in life. These 3Rs will take us again to the proper perspective before proceeding..
Great article .. thank you .
i learn more from ur books than i learn from books in my management studies……..i thank GOD so much for placing a man like u in our lives…….
Thank you for being an inspiration… my inspiration
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All of this is such leadership gold, I just remembered how much I NEED to get this book.
M_
[...] August 24th – August 28th 2010 Posted on August 28, 2010 by leadersquest http://johnmaxwellonleadership.com/2010/08/17/the-3-rs-of-decision-making/ [...]