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

Everyone wants to enjoy a satisfying life. We want people to listen to us and follow us in the present day of social media. It's no surprise that many people like being in the shoes of a leader, even though they don't have any leadership skills. Only when you are eager enough to lead, can you develop the necessary skills and bring yourself eye-to-eye with the complex job of a leader. If you want to develop more effectively in any role than in your quest, you might have heard about Steven Covey’s book named, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

I heard about this book when I was very young, and as I’ve grown older, it’s surfaced repeatedly as a major source of reference in many different environments. One day, I finally bought this top-rated, best-seller book and read it. Needless to say, I am in awe of the precision and quality of work Covey has exhibited in his book. If you are interested in reading as well, then join me in the following review. 

The book consists of 7 habits, followed by people who are successful or effective in their lives. Those habits are:

1. Be Proactive

2. Begin with the End in Mind

3. Put First Things First

4. Think Win-Win

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

6. Synergize

7. Sharpen the Saw

The book begins with a set of three habits given by Covey that are to be initiated in oneself to be effective. If you want to see change and betterment around you, first, you have to change within. You cannot make people do something if you don't have these three habits. Covey has named this set Private Victory. Then, he moves through the rest of the four habits for Public Victory. 

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Proactivity is one of the most challenging habits to maintain. It's a lot easier to let everything come to you and not take responsibility for not seeing the results you want. You need to be proactive because you are the only person who can and will bring the most changes in your life. If you are not a person who is actively growing in life, you will never see yourself effectively leading other people. 

You don't need to be ten steps ahead to be proactive. You only need to keep a good focus on things in your control and not worry about anything that isn't changeable. You are not in control of the impossible. Instead, you can only change what is possible. If you have the habit of turning every stone to change yourself and improve the situation you are in, you should get ready to build the following seven habits as well. This first habit is the stepping stone for the rest of the habits.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Once you have decided to gain control over your life, then you must get ready to see amazing things happen. Beyond that, you need to make more significant improvements as well. Covey suggests this second habit, is one you must adopt to learn to plan your goals. This habit is related to psychological creation, and when you have good control over it, you achieve your goals faster. 

Habit 3: Put First Things First 

This habit is centered around prioritization. Just as you have to do with your habits, you must have priorities, and everyone can have different ones. Having priorities will help you develop new perspectives and see things differently. You must develop your habits and your priorities to be able to meet certain goals in life. 

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

This habit is the first to fall under the section of “Public Victory.” When you develop the habits that lead to your personal success, you learn to come up with the winning situation for yourself. Once you develop the habits necessary to win, then here comes the action part. You will use these acquired talents to convert this 'win' into a public victory. In the case of making a winning scenario in a public arrangement, you will call it a win/win. This concept is ideal in any case. You should be able to approach decisions by making an opportunity for both ends to win. 

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

One of the most essential leadership skills is listening. When many people think of communication problems, they come to the point of thinking about the inability to find the right words to construct a message that conveys a precise meaning. However, choosing the right words can feel meaningless when the person in front of you isn't even listening. Listening may seem hard, as it doesn’t feel like a direct gain for the listener. However, practicing the habit of active listening will yield many positive results. Listening is a habit you must develop continuously. You will solve problems more effectively when you hear the whole situation thoroughly.

Habit 6: Synergize

The author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People believes the whole is always better than the sum of its portions. Encouraging positive responses to singular contributions and giving recognition to the individual is an effective habit. 

This is the best decision you can make when you have a bigger network of effective people working on an issue. It will help you develop a creative and viable solution, along with helping to expend less energy. 

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

This habit will bring everything together. This final habit will encourage you to help all other habits grow and build in your personality. To do this, you will have to make sure your mental, spiritual, and physical selves all have the right time and space needed to become constant and consistent habits. As a result, they will slowly become infused into your character. Click Here to grab the Time of the Essence Bundle today and begin creating better habits to achieve your goals faster and more effectively.

Conclusion

These 7 habits have helped millions of people lead and become effective in their lives. You can also adapt them to be better in your professional and personal life. 

If you feel you are not consistent with reading, you can join the Avid Listeners Book Club, created to read one book per month. It will help you add value to your life, business, and relationships. The Avid Listeners Book Club's goal  is for members to create an ROI of their time, energy, and resources with each title read. You are welcome to join us via audiobook or via tangible, physical books as well. Happy reading, ya'll!