There is a story about an army corps of engineers who went to clear a forest. As trained and disciplined as they were, they went about in an organized and efficient manner and cleared the area in a very short time. Naturally, they were quite proud of it, until they got word from the commanders—they had cleared the wrong forest!

Therefore, before we get all fired up and dig deep into the mechanics of time management, let's make sure that we are clearing the right forest.

Underlying every action is a purpose. Purpose drives time management decisions such as prioritization and delegation. It answers the "why" questions such as "Why is this task important?" or "Why should this task be done before that task?" Purpose should form the basis for goal setting.

Underlying purpose is value. Value, the moral compass and spark of integrity that illuminates every soul, ensures that your goals do not conflict with conscience and pragmatism.

In his book The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life...