The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Stephen R. Covey, international bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey’s teachings emphasize that making your main thing a true priority and reflecting that in your schedule is essential for success. He often highlighted how aligning your schedule with your core priority is central to effective living.

As a writer, an entrepreneur, a thought leader, and a visionary—have you sat down and really truly defined your main thing? Whatever you are doing right now, whatever you are working on, do you have clear vision of the outcome you want to achieve? And do you know how you’re going to get there?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND ITS APPLICATIONS

The idea of “keeping the main thing the main thing” is at the heart of Stephen Covey’s teachings in his influential book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey, a renowned author and thought leader, emphasizes that the key to success lies in our ability to focus on what truly matters. In a world full of distractions, it’s easy to lose sight of our priorities and let urgent but less important tasks consume our time and attention. However, highly effective people know that the thing is to keep the main thing front and center, making conscious decisions to spend their energy on what will create the most meaningful results in their lives.

Covey’s principle is more than just a catchy phrase—it’s a call to action to develop habits that help us prioritize and stay on course. By identifying what is most important, we can learn to say no to distractions and yes to the things that align with our values and long-term goals. This approach not only leads to greater success, but also helps us build trust with others, as people can see that we are consistent and reliable in our commitments.

Applying this concept means regularly evaluating how we spend our time and making sure our daily actions reflect our true priorities. It’s about making decisions that count, even when life pulls us in different directions. When we keep the main thing the main thing, we create a sense of order and purpose, allowing us to live more intentionally and achieve the kind of success that really matters. By learning from the habits of highly effective people, we can continue to grow, make better decisions, and build lives that reflect what’s most important to us.

DEFINE YOUR MAIN THING

You've probably heard of the SMART acronym –specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. SMART isn't just for school kids, SMART helps you define your “main thing” and then helps you to keep it the main thing.

So, here's an exercise for you. Let's commit to making the main thing the main thing as it comes to your writing.  Here's an example of how it works.

SPECIFIC: My business needs an infusion of new clients. I have determined that I can reach more people through a blog. I launch my blog on January 1 and I am planning a vacation at Thanksgiving. I want to have eight blog posts “in the can” before I go on vacation so that when I return I can focus on marketing plans.

MEASURABLE: eight blog posts of 250-500 words each in 120 days

ACHIEVABLE:  Every two weeks I can easily write an additional 250-500 words a day. I have 30 minutes of downtime between dinner and bed.

REALISTIC: I have five great ideas already lined up. I have a dedicated space for writing. I have an accountability partner.

TIMELY: I am ready and excited for this new opportunity. There is a demand for ghostwriters, copywriters, and editors and I have the talent and expertise to meet their needs.

RIGHT NOW, this minute, fill in the blanks for your own SMART goal: 

SPECIFIC:

MEASURABLE:

ACHIEVABLE:  

REALISTIC:

TIMELY:

From the above SMART test, your main thing is now the main thing. You have the goal defined, you have a clear vision of what it is, it's achievable—and I mean it's really achievable now that you look at it in this context. Realistic? Sure! It's not really a stretch, it's just making time for it; and it is time for you to grow your business.

Join me on this journey. Show me your main thing and let's do it together. Call for a consult if you need a coach to help you get started.