The document discusses the evolution of time management approaches over four generations from checklists and notebooks to self-management. It outlines three steps to effective time management: identifying your roles, ensuring you fulfill those roles, and distinguishing between urgent vs important activities. Urgent activities are categorized as important/not important, with stress and irresponsible living resulting from an imbalance in those quadrants. The key to empowered living is maintaining vision, balance, discipline and control over one's use of time.