The Balance of Roles

Steven Covey’s “Chapter 6: The Balance of Roles” in the “First Things First” argues that viewing roles as part of an interrelated whole and developing that interrelatedness leads to a more meaningful and productive life.  He develops this argument by giving examples of how skills and activities transfer across roles, and by giving examples of how relating roles to one’s big-picture mission and sense of accountability to someone or something higher than oneself creates passion and energy. His purpose is to replace a compartmentalized view of roles with a more holistic view in order to give the reader better perspective when deciding how to balance time between them. He is writing to a general audience with an interest in time management.