Stephen Covey’s third habit, “Put First Things First,” reminds us to focus on what really matters — the important, not just the urgent.
In project management, we’re juggling competing demands, deadlines, and stakeholders.
How do you personally apply this habit in your professional life?
* Do you use specific tools or methods?
* How do you balance urgent client requests with long-term strategic goals?
* What helps you protect time for reflection, learning, or relationship building?
I’d love to hear how you practice this habit day to day.
Blocking time off in your schedule (which should be visible to your team) for the next day to make progress towards your top three priorities (which you should have identified in advance!) is one way to avoid letting the urgent steal time away from the important.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Putting first things first is not just about managing time, it’s about managing conscious integrity.
Stephen R. Covey’s third habit invites us to focus on what has lasting value, not merely what feels urgent.
In project environments, urgency often comes from outside - clients, sponsors, or crises - and can lead us to confuse reaction with responsibility.
In those moments, I ask myself:
- Does this action respond to a legitimate urgency, or just to the system’s anxiety?
That small test keeps me aligned with purpose and prevents reactive decisions.
When I sense that tension, I apply the RCPCV™ framework (Gather, Consult, Think, Communicate, Verify) to re-center priorities and decisions.
This transforms prioritization from task management into ethical alignment management, where purpose replaces urgency as the compass for decision-making.
This discipline only works fully when the project’s purpose is explicit and shared, otherwise, what is “first” becomes subjective.
I plan weekly to connect actions with intention, adjust daily to stay adaptable, and reflect weekly before planning again, closing the learning loop.
To put first things first is to live with coherence between what we value, decide, and do, always aligned with purpose.
PMO Leader | Speaker & Mentor | Content Leader – PMOGA Latin America
Hub| Catholic University of UruguayMontevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
By prioritizing impact over immediacy — I start each day identifying what truly moves the project forward, not just what fills the inbox. Clear goals, disciplined focus, and mindful pauses keep urgency from replacing importance. Saving Changes...
Great question, Gwenola. As a PM, I “put first things first” by setting clear daily priorities that align with the project’s overall goals. I use the Eisenhower Matrix to distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s truly important. When client requests come in, I assess their impact on scope and value before reshuffling priorities. I also block time each week for reflection and team check-ins, this helps me stay proactive instead of reactive.
How do you ensure long-term priorities don’t get lost in daily project pressure? Saving Changes...
For me, “Put First Things First” means starting the day by getting clear on what needs my absolute attention and focus. I usually pick 3 key priorities for the day that are directly tied to the project progress. The rest gets scheduled or delegated. Urgent client requests still happen, but I make sure they don’t take over everything else. I’ve also learned to block small chunks of time each week to step back, review progress, and realign. That reflection time often saves me from reacting too much and helps me stay focused on the bigger picture. Saving Changes...
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
For me, “putting first things first” means protecting focus, being intentional about where my energy goes rather than just reacting to what’s loudest. I start each morning reviewing priorities, sometimes using Eisenhower’s matrix to separate what’s truly important from what only feels urgent. Then I block dedicated time for strategic work, no meetings, no emails.
It’s not perfect, but this practice helps me stay aligned with long-term goals instead of being swept up in daily noise. Consistency in small habits makes a huge difference. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Stakeholder management is the key thing. Saving Changes...
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