Do What Matters Most
Lead with a Vision, Manage with a Plan, Prioritize Your Time
byRobert R. Shallenberger, Steve Shallenberger
Book Edition Details
Summary
"Do What Matters Most (2021) is a guide to managing your time more efficiently. It will help you boost performance and stay focused on what matters most. This pack offers a whole bag of tricks, such as developing a personal vision, setting annual goals, and following a weekly list of priorities."
Introduction
In our fast-paced world, countless professionals wake up each morning feeling overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, constant interruptions, and the nagging sense that they're always reacting to urgent demands rather than focusing on what truly matters. Research reveals that 68 percent of managers and executives identify prioritizing time as their greatest challenge, yet 80 percent lack a systematic process to address it. This widespread struggle stems from a fundamental gap between good intentions and effective execution. The solution lies not in working harder or finding more hours in the day, but in developing three transformative habits that can increase productivity by 30 to 50 percent while reducing stress and creating genuine fulfillment. These habits form a powerful framework that moves you from living by default to leading by design, ensuring that your daily actions align with your deepest values and most important goals.
Develop Your Written Personal Vision
A personal vision serves as your internal compass, providing direction and purpose for every decision you make. Unlike vague aspirations or wishful thinking, a written personal vision is a clear, compelling description of who you want to become and what you want to accomplish across all areas of your life. It represents the best version of yourself in each role you play, whether as a professional, parent, partner, or individual focused on personal growth. Consider the remarkable story of Rob, who at sixteen felt lost and directionless during his junior year of high school. His confidence was low, he lacked motivation, and he had no clear sense of purpose. Everything changed on a warm July evening when he attended the Stadium of Fire celebration in Provo, Utah. As four F-16 fighter jets roared overhead in perfect formation, Rob and his brother Steven looked at each other and made a powerful declaration that would reshape their entire future. They committed to someday flying those very jets over that same stadium. That single moment planted the seed of Rob's personal vision, transforming a wayward teenager into someone with laser-like focus. He immediately began working toward his goal, understanding he would need to excel academically, graduate from high school, perform well at university, and compete fiercely for a coveted pilot slot. Fifteen years later, both brothers achieved their childhood vision, performing the flyover for the Stadium of Fire as F-16 pilots. The power of that clear, written vision had guided every major decision and sustained them through years of challenges. To develop your own transformative vision, begin by answering four crucial questions that will fire up your imagination. First, consider what you want to accomplish in the next ten to twenty years. Second, identify the mentors or inspiring figures whose qualities you most admire. Third, think about improvements you'd like to make in your work, home, or community. Finally, envision how you hope others will describe you fifty years from now. These questions help you move beyond surface-level thinking to discover what truly matters most. Next, identify the five to seven most important roles in your life, such as your personal role focusing on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, along with your professional and relationship roles. For each role, craft a clear vision statement using empowering language like "I am" rather than tentative phrases like "I hope to be."
Set SMART Roles and Goals
While your vision provides the destination, goals serve as the specific milestones that transform your aspirations into reality. The most effective approach involves setting SMART goals within each of your important life roles, ensuring balanced progress across all areas that matter most to you. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-specific, creating clear targets that drive focused action and accountability. Gary, a successful CEO in his early sixties, exemplifies the transformative power of role-based goal setting. After four years of feeling like he had lost his edge and seriously considering turning his business over to his son, Gary attended a workshop on vision and goals. During the session, he experienced what he described as a complete mindset shift, feeling more focused and energized than he had in years. One pivotal goal he set was to average reading at least one leadership book per month, reconnecting with a habit he had abandoned when his motivation began to decline. Three months later, Gary reported that those months had been among the best of his life. His business acumen had returned, his mind was clear and focused, and his personal life had reached new heights. The simple act of incorporating reading back into his routine through a well-crafted goal had catalyzed improvements across every area of his leadership and decision-making. This demonstrates how addressing one key area through purposeful goal setting can create positive ripple effects throughout your entire life. To implement this approach effectively, start by reviewing your vision for each role and asking what specific accomplishments would move you closer to that ideal. Write goals that avoid vague words like "more" or "better" in favor of precise, measurable targets. Give yourself flexibility by using words like "average" rather than "every day" to prevent minor setbacks from derailing your progress. Focus on one to four goals per role to maintain clarity and prevent overwhelm. Share your goals with three to five trusted individuals who will help hold you accountable. Most importantly, reference your goals regularly, ideally weekly, to ensure your daily actions remain aligned with your most important priorities. This systematic approach transforms good intentions into concrete achievements.
Master Pre-Week Planning
Pre-week planning represents the keystone habit that connects your vision and goals to daily reality, ensuring that what matters most actually happens in your life. Just as pilots conduct thorough pre-flight planning before every mission, taking time each week to thoughtfully plan your upcoming seven days dramatically increases both productivity and peace of mind. This proactive approach moves you from constantly reacting to urgent demands toward focusing on important activities that align with your deepest values and highest priorities. The power of this practice is illustrated through the touching story of John, a seasoned PepsiCo executive who participated in a workshop on these principles. During the pre-week planning exercise, he wrote a simple but profound action item in his role as parent. He planned to call his son, explaining to the facilitators that he hadn't spoken with his son in over seven years following an argument neither could remember. The structured planning process gave him the courage and framework to schedule this crucial conversation for Wednesday evening at seven o'clock. Six months later, John shared the remarkable outcome of that single planned action. Despite his initial fear when picking up the phone, the conversation revealed that neither father nor son could recall what they had argued about years earlier. They began talking every week and developed a close friendship, with John discovering he had two grandchildren he never knew existed. This relationship repair transformed every aspect of John's life, improving his leadership effectiveness, renewing his energy, and lifting an invisible weight from his shoulders. Without the systematic approach of pre-week planning, this life-changing conversation might never have occurred. The pre-week planning process involves four straightforward steps that typically require twenty to forty-five minutes each week. Begin by reviewing your written vision and goals, identifying what actions you can take this week to advance your most important objectives. Next, write down your key roles at the top of your planning page or digital calendar. Third, brainstorm specific action items for each role, asking yourself what matters most this week in each area of your life. Finally, assign specific times to each action item, ensuring they become scheduled priorities rather than hopeful intentions. Choose a consistent time between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening to complete this process, setting a phone reminder to develop this transformative habit. Remember that flexibility is essential, as urgent matters will inevitably arise that require adjustments to your planned activities while still maintaining focus on what matters most.
Build High-Performance Habits
The foundation of sustained success lies not in sporadic bursts of motivation but in developing consistent daily habits that compound over time to create extraordinary results. Your habits ultimately determine your legacy, serving as either your greatest helpers in achieving your vision or your heaviest burdens preventing progress. By intentionally cultivating habits that support your written vision and goals, you create momentum that makes success feel natural rather than forced. The profound impact of habit formation is beautifully illustrated in the story of Amy from American Express, a rising star who had reached senior director level but began feeling overwhelmed and plateaued in both her professional and personal life. Despite working harder and longer hours, her productivity seemed to decline while stress increased. Her relationships with her husband and daughter were suffering, and she felt disconnected from taking care of her own physical and emotional needs. After learning about vision, goals, and pre-week planning at a conference, Amy committed to implementing these three foundational habits. Within just one month, Amy's transformation was remarkable and measurable. She had lost ten pounds, exercised five times per week, and recommitted to all her important relationships, especially with her husband and special-needs daughter. Her supervisor and colleagues noticed significant improvements in her attitude, organization, and productivity. Amy discovered hours in her day she never knew existed, accomplishing more while feeling less stressed and more fulfilled. The key was not working harder but working with intention, using systematic habits to focus on what mattered most rather than simply reacting to whatever demanded attention. To build your own high-performance habits, start by identifying areas where you want to see improvement, whether in health, relationships, finances, or professional effectiveness. Use your weekly pre-week planning sessions to schedule specific actions that support your goals in each role, gradually building routines that become automatic over time. Consider implementing a morning routine that sets a positive tone for each day, including adequate sleep, hydration, physical movement, and time for reflection on your vision before diving into reactive activities. Practice saying no to requests that don't align with your priorities, freeing up time and energy for what matters most. Remember that small, consistent actions compound dramatically over time, so focus on sustainability rather than perfection. Most importantly, be patient with yourself as you develop these new patterns, understanding that lasting change requires both time and persistent effort guided by your clear vision of who you want to become.
Summary
The journey toward extraordinary productivity and fulfillment begins with a simple yet profound shift from living by default to leading by design through three transformative habits. As the research demonstrates, when you develop a written personal vision that gives your life direction and purpose, establish SMART goals within your most important roles, and consistently engage in pre-week planning to connect daily actions with long-term objectives, you join less than one percent of people who have mastered this life-changing skillset. The compound effect of these habits creates what can only be described as a chemistry of excellence, where increased productivity combines with reduced stress to produce both professional success and personal satisfaction. Remember that your focus determines your reality, and these three habits ensure your focus remains consistently aligned with what matters most. Take action today by blocking time in your calendar this week to begin developing your written vision, and commit to the discipline required to make these practices a permanent part of your life, knowing that the investment you make now will pay dividends for decades to come.
By Robert R. Shallenberger
