--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I agree with Stephen Covey that too many…" description: "\"I agree with Stephen Covey that too many people spend too much time on doing what is urgent rather than on doing what is import.\" — Edward Hallowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/edward-hallowell-27891_agree_i-agree-with-stephen-covey-that-too-many_789515.jpg" --- # I agree with Stephen Covey that too many people spend too… ![“I agree with Stephen Covey that too many people spend too much time on doing what is urgent rather than on doing what is import.” quote by Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/edward-hallowell-27891_agree_i-agree-with-stephen-covey-that-too-many_789515.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/edward-hallowell-27891_agree_i-agree-with-stephen-covey-that-too-many_789515.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/edward-hallowell-27891_agree_i-agree-with-stephen-covey-that-too-many_789515.jpg) > “I agree with Stephen Covey that too many people spend too much time on doing what is urgent rather than on doing what is import.” [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often prioritize urgent tasks over important ones, leading to misplaced effort. **In simple terms:** Urgent tasks crowd out important work. Key Takeaway Focus on importance, not urgency. Themes time management priorities productivity Mood reflective motivational Type advice instructional When to use this quote - work deadlines - personal goals - team projects - daily planning Key Concepts Eisenhower matrix strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify truly important tasks? - What systems help you balance urgency and importance? A Different Perspective Urgent tasks may sometimes be critical and cannot be ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We are so busy doing the urgent that we don't have time to do the important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/we-are-so-busy-doing-the-urgent-that-we-don-t-have-time-to-do-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“Generally, I agree with Stephen King that hope is a dangerous thing. And also that the road to hell is paved with adverbs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-dilts/generally-i-agree-with-stephen-king-that-hope-is-a-dangerous-thing/) [Tyler Dilts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-dilts/) > [“Too many people spend money they havenʼt earned, to buy things they donʼt want, to impress people they donʼt like." - Will Rogers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-babauta/too-many-people-spend-money-they-haven-t-earned-to-buy-things-they/) [Leo Babauta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-babauta/) > [Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-many-people-spend-money-they-haven-t-earned-to-buy-things-they-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Patrick Lencioni, Spencer Johnson, and Stephen Covey are great communicators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/patrick-lencioni-spencer-johnson-and-stephen-covey-are-great/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [“how to find meaning and fulfillment in the second half of our lives. In short, how to move from success to significance! Stephen R.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-p-buford/how-to-find-meaning-and-fulfillment-in-the-second-half-of-our-lives/) [Bob P. Buford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-p-buford/) > [Live out of your imagination, not your history. --Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/live-out-of-your-imagination-not-your-history-stephen-covey/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. —STEPHEN COVEY”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-webb/the-main-thing-is-to-keep-the-main-thing-the-main-thing-stephen-covey/) [Caroline Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-webb/) > [One simply cannot pay tribute to Stephen Covey without saying at the outset that he was a lovely human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/one-simply-cannot-pay-tribute-to-stephen-covey-without-saying-at-the/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-van-edwards/next-to-physical-survival-the-greatest-need-of-a-human-being-is/) [Vanessa Van Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-van-edwards/) > [“Begin with the end in mind. —Stephen Covey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-zigmont/begin-with-the-end-in-mind-stephen-covey/) Jay Zigmont > [“Only after we can learn to forgive ourselves can we accept others as they are because we don’t feel threatened by anything about them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-marks/only-after-we-can-learn-to-forgive-ourselves-can-we-accept-others-as/) [Darryl Marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-marks/) > [“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. –Stephen Covey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/improve-life-books/i-am-not-a-product-of-my-circumstances-i-am-a-product-of-my-decisions/) Improve Life Books > [The world has lost a truly great soul today. Stephen Covey was a man whose 'work was love made visible.' He touched millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-world-has-lost-a-truly-great-soul-today-stephen-covey-was-a-man/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [My favorite book is 'Speed of Trust' by Stephen Covey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/my-favorite-book-is-speed-of-trust-by-stephen-covey/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) ## More by Edward Hallowell > [I would suggest that excellence occurs in direct proportion to necessary suffering, but in inverse proportion to unnecessary suffering or toxic stress. Connection is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/i-would-suggest-that-excellence-occurs-in-direct-proportion-to/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [We live in a paradox: connected electronically but disconnected interpersonally. However, when you recognize the problem, you can take steps to correct it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/we-live-in-a-paradox-connected-electronically-but-disconnected/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [In order to do what really matters to you, you have to, first of all, know what really matters to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/in-order-to-do-what-really-matters-to-you-you-have-to-first-of-all/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [Lack of respect for the worker. This nourishes disconnection, fear, anger, phoniness, and all the bad stuff that impedes excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/lack-of-respect-for-the-worker-this-nourishes-disconnection-fear/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [Several elements of the ADD mind favor creativity…As mentioned earlier, the term 'attention deficit' is a misnomer. It is a matter of attention inconsistency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/several-elements-of-the-add-mind-favor-creativity-as-mentioned/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [No work is "most important." Or, put differently, all work is important but work done poorly becomes most important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/no-work-is-most-important-or-put-differently-all-work-is-important/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [All connections matter, but the people you depend upon matter most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/all-connections-matter-but-the-people-you-depend-upon-matter-most/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [Modern loneliness is an extraverted loneliness, in which the person is surrounded by many people and partakes of much communication but feels unrecognized and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/modern-loneliness-is-an-extraverted-loneliness-in-which-the-person-is/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [Newcomers should be put in an established position where the expectations are known and help is available. New major assignments should mainly go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/newcomers-should-be-put-in-an-established-position-where-the/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [Fear shuts people down. When you feel safe, your brain is free to soar. When you feel in danger, your brain goes into survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/fear-shuts-people-down-when-you-feel-safe-your-brain-is-free-to-soar/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [A human moment is a term I invented to distinguish in-person communication from electronic. Human moments are exponentially more powerful than electronic ones. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/a-human-moment-is-a-term-i-invented-to-distinguish-in-person/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [Young people beginning a career need to realize that there are lots of "buses" in life. More often than not, selecting which one to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/young-people-beginning-a-career-need-to-realize-that-there-are-lots/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [It is especially important for managers to know about, neuroplasticity, the greatest discovery in neuroscience in the past 20 years. It refers to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/it-is-especially-important-for-managers-to-know-about-neuroplasticity/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [From the biological standpoint, people deprived of the human moment in their day-to-day business dealings, actually in all domains of their lives, are losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/from-the-biological-standpoint-people-deprived-of-the-human-moment-in/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [You brain does its best when it is doing a task it can do well. That's basic brain science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/you-brain-does-its-best-when-it-is-doing-a-task-it-can-do-well-that-s/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) [Explore all 20 Edward Hallowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. 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