The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Chances are even if you haven’t read this book, or part of this book, or a quote from this book, you have come across a reference to it in one way or another. And for good reason. The habits listed are all-encompassing, simple to understand and well, highly effective. There’s a reason this book has stayed in print for over 25 years, spawning workbooks, seminars and planning materials.
Key Messages of the Book:
- Habit One: Be proactive. Come from a place of understanding that you make your life happen. Life is not something that happens to you. Understand the boundaries of and act within your circle of influence.
- Habit Two: Begin with the end in mind. What is the life that you want to create? Who is the person that you want to be remembered as? Write a personal mission statement that expresses this and plan your life around it.
- Habit Three: Put first things first. There are four quadrants you can put all tasks in your life into - based around the axes of important and urgent. Your tasks should be done in the following priority sequence:
1) important and urgent
2) important and non-urgent
3) non-important and urgent
4) non-important and non-urgent
- Habit Four: Think win-win. There’s “my way” and “your way” and then “the higher way” which encompasses a win for everyone.
- Habit Five: Seek first to understand. Then to be understood. Practice empathy in your listening. Only when someone is feeling heard and understood can they be open to hearing and understanding you.
- Habit Six: Synergize. With teamwork, you can achieve more than each individual acting individually. Trust the power of the team.
- Habit Seven: Sharpen the Saw. Strive for continual improvement. You are your greatest resource. Take care of that resource through sleep, exercise, diet and pay attention to what specifically works for you.
Live your life from an abundance mindset.