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Book Review: 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen R. Covey



Get your copy here: amzn.to/4a9YIKE Stephen R. Covey’s seminal bookThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People looks at the step-by-step principles of people who live with a bit more conviction, revolution, and success. It’s a book that underpins the strategy of people who solve problems, both personal and professional, and gear themselves up for success because they can take advantage of every scenario. The book explores fundamental themes like fairness, integrity, human dignity, service and taste that help in giving people the means to learn, adapt and make the most of opportunities. It reveals timeless, fundamental wisdom that can be integrated into everyday thinking to improve people’s holistic approach to self-improvement, personality, productivity, orientation and success, irrespective of who they are. It’s a book that helps each of us cultivate better habits that have a transforming impact in everything we do.


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People discusses the idea of paradigm shift, a fundamental way in how people can reassess their take on things. There are some common themes and ingredients that when activated can transform anyone. It’s to do with adopting a new, proactive mindset that runs on taking responsibility for one’s choices and actions. This is a book on realizing oneself, becoming self-aware and programming the way we go about doing things with a bit more conviction.


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People suggests that one useful way to approach things is to begin from the back. Think about what’s the end in mind, and then work backwards. This is a useful approach because by envisioning things, you become a better planner. Covey also suggests people to think in terms of long-term aspirations and what the end goals are. And in doing so, the task of how to go about it becomes the mission to work on. Covey illustrates this approach with a lot of real examples and references to give readers a take on managing their own strategies, and work up their own roadmaps for a life with purpose.


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People gets people thinking about priorities. Which is an important framework within which one understands how to separate the important and not-so-urgent tasks. Many people deal with the issue of time management, and understanding priorities can help people manage their time more effectively. Covey introduces concepts such as the ‘Time Management Matrix’ which helps people separate the urgent from the unimportant. It’s a tool to help people balance personal and professional commitment, and organie what ought to matter, in what order, and how to structure priorities. 


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People helps people realise the power of thinking positively, in terms of a win-win philosophy. A lot of times, people are forced to make compromises, and in doing so, succumbing to a sense of zero-sum thinking. Instead, the book allows the reader to create a win-win mindset, to achieve shared success and allow mutually beneficial outcomes in pretty much every interaction, to make the most of everything we do, along with everyone we do things with.


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People helps us rethink our focus. From first listening and understanding, rather than conveying and expecting to be understood. One of the key fallbacks of the human condition is our inability to listen. Most people are so eager to jump to conclusions and express their own points of view before hearing and emphatically listening to what others have to say. Effective communication and relationships are determined by our capacity to first seek to understand, then to understand and not the other way around. Covey presents a number of techniques to help organize ourselves to better suit this new orientation. 


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People brings to light the value of taking in all sorts of diverse perspectives that strengthen collective excellence. Covey refers to the concept of synergy, as a way to unfold the transformative power of collaboration and teamwork. Thinking with the intent of appreciating a synergy, greater, more innovative solutions can manifest, and people can create and build meaningful relationships in personal and professional setting, just by taking in and valuing a variety of perspectives.


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People inspires people to keep improving and tinkering because everything is a work in progress. He illustrates this point by using the metaphor of sharpening the saw, as a way to consistently improve and invest in all the human faculties of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and transcendental nature. Covey offers insights into how people can create a holistic approach to self-improvement and personal growth and that helps them achieve sustainable success, in all the things they do.


Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is an inspiring read because it helps people improve holistically so they can be effective in pretty much everything they do. It’s a guide on how to improve good habits and make life more interesting, enthusiastic and meaningful. A variety of themes are discussed in the book, all of which improve us in some way or the other. Covey highlights the power of developing one’s character, which is more important than one’s personality. He suggests that people ought to choose principles that are sound; such as quality, taste, integrity, taste, dignity, survival, patience, commitment, perseverance, courage, desiccation and so on. Covey’s book groups personal self-improvement broadly under seven habits. Such as, being proactive, because it lets you determine the course of action. To start with the end in mind, because it lets you plan accordingly and realise your mission. Priorities, because it lets you think about what’s urgent and what’s not, and determine responsibilities accordingly. Think in terms of a win-win philosophy, so you build relationships and facilitate mutual benefits. First seek to understand, and then be understood, because it lets you actually have a dialogue. Appreciate a variety of perspectives with the art of embracing synergy, and finally keep on improving, across all the faculties of mind, body, soul because it lets you develop holistically.   Get your copy here: amzn.to/4a9YIKE

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