A reading club with a view to the future

187 Stephen R. Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The book provides a step-by-step guide to living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity, while also becoming more effective, influential, and successful in all areas of life.

Duration: 15 hours
7 minutes
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Stephen R. Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Summary

The book is divided into three parts: Private Victory (Habits 1-3), Public Victory (Habits 4-6), and Renewal (Habit 7). Covey explains that Private Victory precedes Public Victory, and that renewing yourself in all four areas of your life - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual - is essential for maintaining effectiveness.

About

Title: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Author: Stephen R. Covey

Publishing Year: 2020

Publisher: Free Press

Length in hours: 15 hours and 7 minutes

5 main ideas

  1. Habits 1-3: Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First. These habits involve taking control of your life, setting goals, prioritizing, and managing your time effectively.
  2. Habits 4-6: Think Win-Win, Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood, and Synergize. These habits involve building strong relationships, communicating effectively, and working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.
  3. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. This habit involves renewing yourself in all four areas of your life to maintain effectiveness.
  4. Covey emphasizes the importance of developing a personal mission statement and aligning all of your actions with it.
  5. Covey also stresses the importance of building trust with others and treating them with respect and understanding.
Stephen R. Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

5 funny quotes

  1. "Love is a verb. Love - the feeling - is a fruit of love, the verb."
  2. "Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly."
  3. "If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting."
  4. "The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions."
  5. "I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions."

5 thought-provoking quotes​

  1. "The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."
  2. "The way we see the problem is the problem."
  3. "To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions."
  4. "Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important."
  5. "We see the world, not as it is, but as we are - or, as we are conditioned to see it."

5 dilemmas

  1. Balancing short-term goals with long-term values.
  2. Choosing between effectiveness and efficiency.
  3. Deciding whether to focus on personal or professional development.
  4. Balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of the team.
  5. Choosing between the comfort of the status quo and the challenge of change.

5 examples

  1. The example of Abraham Lincoln's commitment to the values of the Declaration of Independence.
  2. The example of Victor Frankl's ability to find meaning in the midst of suffering.
  3. The example of John F. Kennedy's vision for a better future.
  4. The example of Mahatma Gandhi's use of nonviolent resistance.
  5. The example of Stephen Covey's own struggles with living the 7 Habits.

Referenced books

  1. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl 
  2. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie 
  3. "The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" by M. Scott Peck 
  4. "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen 
  5. "Principle-Centered Leadership" by Stephen R. Covey 

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"The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions."

Stephen R. Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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