An Atomic Metaphor (pg. 117-121)
Chapter 7 is a short but powerful conclusion to Part Two of What Matters Most. In these few pages, Hyrum Smith draws an elegant scientific metaphor to summarize and energize everything readers have worked through in the preceding chapters. He compares the “What Matters Most Tri-quation” to the structure of an atom. At the center […]
Your Personal Mission Statement (pg. 106-116)
Chapter 6 completes the foundational triad of the “What Matters Most” process by guiding readers to create a Personal Mission Statement—the concise expression of overall life purpose that ties roles and governing values together. Smith begins with a vivid analogy: driving on a foggy highway. Without clear vision, progress feels dangerous and exhausting—emotions run low, […]
Identifying Your Governing Values (pg. 91-105)
The second half of Chapter 5 in What Matters Most moves from understanding governing values to the practical work of identifying, clarifying, prioritizing, and owning them. This is the heart of the process: surfacing what truly matters most and bringing it into conscious awareness so it can guide daily choices. Smith begins with a straightforward […]
What Are Governing Values? (pg. 82-91)
Chapter 5 of What Matters Most shifts focus to the second element of the tri-quation: governing values. These are described as the deepest, most central part of identity—the core beliefs and principles that determine what feels most important and highest in priority. Because they sit at the very center of being, governing values can be […]
Identifying Your Roles (pg. 73-81)
Chapter 4 of What Matters Most marks the beginning of the practical work in Part Two. The focus is on identifying the roles that shape daily life—the relationships and responsibilities that connect individuals to others and to the broader world. Roles are not lived in isolation; they arise from the fundamental human need to belong […]
Why Goals Fail (pg. 58-66)
Chapter 3 of What Matters Most opens with a timeless insight from Henry David Thoreau, drawn from the conclusion of Walden: “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a […]
Fighting The Pace Of The Modern World (pg. 47-57)
Chapter 2 of What Matters Most challenges a common nostalgia: the belief that life was slower and more spacious a century ago, when people supposedly had “more time.” Hyrum Smith dismantles this idea by examining how modern technology and expectations have reshaped our relationship with time, often leaving us feeling more harried despite labor-saving advances. […]
The Upward Spiral (pg. 354-366)
At the heart of Stephen Covey’s teachings is a simple but profound truth: growth is not a one-time event—it’s a continual, upward spiral of learning, commitment, and action. This cycle is the essence of Habit 7 Sharpen the Saw. It’s not just about taking breaks or getting rest. It’s about regular, intentional renewal in all […]
The Four Dimensions of Renewal (pg. 341-353)
Imagine coming across someone in the woods, feverishly working to saw down a tree. You notice they’re exhausted and suggest they take a break to sharpen their saw. “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” they reply. “I’m too busy sawing!” Stephen Covey’s metaphor captures something we’re all guilty of—grinding through our days without […]
The Reward of Effective Living (pg. 329-337)
Synergy is more than a business buzzword or an optimistic ideal—it’s the natural result of people working together with trust, respect, and a shared desire to create something better than they could alone. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains that Habit 6, Synergize, is the “crowning achievement” of all the […]