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The above graph is a simple, elegant tool for figuring out what is important in your to-do list. It’s Randy Pausch’s adaption of Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix. Once you sort your to-dos into the quadrants, the real goal is to be able to say, if it’s not important (the to do falls in quadrants 3 and 4), do I really need to do it? Wouldn’t it be nice if the answer is no? The ultimate goal is to be able to finish your work so there’s enough time for the other things, like living life.

If you haven’t seen Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture” video, you should take the time to do so. The video contains some invaluable lessons on living life, from a man who had less than a year to live when he gave the lecture. Sadly, Randy Pausch pass away two days ago, from complications related to pancreatic cancer. You can find his “Time Management” video on the same site.