The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
← The Novel No-No Boy by John Okada | Transformation of Dan Millman’s Perception of Life → |
Introduction
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is one of those masterpieces that are extremely important to read for the individuals who believe in their goals and want to achieve them despite any obstacles and challenges. Actually, the book is to help those who want to be successful, effective, and overcome challenges in life. Thereafter, the objective of the following paper is to discuss the book.
Book Report Example
The book was first published in 1989 and presented the timeless and universal principles that are to help the individuals to achieve their goals. The basic idea is to follow the so-called "true north" principles. The author points out that people usually deal with their problems in life in a very scattershot manner that eventually creates additional issues. Stephen R. Covey suggests a solution to that which is about solving personal and professional issues according to the same values and beliefs.
The book is about developing the mentioned set of values that would eventually help people to come up with the solutions that would make their personal and professional life more effective. Stephen R. Covey clearly specifies the seven habits that are “working in action”.
The first habit is about being proactive. Thereafter, the basic idea is to ignore the events that do not matter to an individual and cannot be changed, but rather pay attention to those circumstances that a person can influence. The second habit is called “Begin with the End in Mind” and is about the creation of the mission statement that would work for you. “Putting First Things First” also matters, as the person must focus his efforts on the things that are important and not urgent (urgent one create stress). Stephen R. Covey suggests using this principle in everyday life and setting certain short-term goals that are achievable and tracked. Because of less urgency, the targets can be moved and done eventually. “Think Win/Win” habit is about finding the solutions that would be beneficial for both parties.
The fifth habit that is described in the book is known as “Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood”. This habit is very useful as it clearly states that a person needs to get a clear understanding of the situation before finding any solutions. Some people might have difficulties in explaining themselves, and jumping into conclusions does not bring an effective result; that is why the listener must hear the whole story, get the real understanding, and often listen to the opinion from aside. Synergizing is the sixth habit that is described by the author and is related to the ability to turn the situation related to dealing with difficult people for one’s benefit.
The suggestion is to identify what is good and bad about the person (based on the attitudes to the individual) and try to adapt it to one’s own attitude so that a good cooperation would evolve. The last habit is known as “Sharpen the Saw” and is about allocating certain time for renewal on emotional, physical, and psychological levels. Thereafter, the main message out of this habit is to allocate time to fix what is wrong (for example, if a person has extra weight, he or she needs to find time for exercises, etc.) as this is an essential part of a strength that is needed for people to be successful and effective (Covey, 1989).
Summary
In conclusion, it is important to mention that all the rules are very effective, and an individual can immediately feel the difference and improvements in an everyday life once adopting those habits.