The clock and the compass
The author believes that we struggle with time management as we are torn choosing between the clock and the compass. The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities—what we do with, and how we manage our time. The compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction—what we feel is important and how we lead our lives. The compass is the general direction of our lives, whilst the clock is what we do on a day-to-day basis. The bigger the gap between the clock and the compass, the more out of control life feels. A big event in your life, typically of the negative kind can make you realize the gap between your clock and the compass such as the passing of a loved one may make one realize that they have been prioritizing the wrong things in life.
In trying to mend the gap between the clock and the compass, there have been three generations of time management techniques as depicted by the image below. The 4rth generation is what this book will focus on
