This post is about a summary of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Written by Stephen Covey, this book teaches us how to solve problems at work and in our lives by thinking about everything important. It’s like having a good plan that helps us be fair to others, tell the truth, help people, and be kind.
This plan helps us feel good about ourselves and be ready for changes. The author tells stories and examples to help us understand how to use this plan step by step.
Table of Contents
Are The 7 Habits Still Relevant?
Yes, that’s right! The teachings and ideas in this book are called “universal laws and principles” because they are valid for everyone, everywhere, and never change. If we learn and understand these rules, we can use them to help us do better and achieve our goals.
Which Is More Important, Character Or Personality?
Character is more important than personality because it shows who you are inside, like your essence or spirit. Your personality is how you show your character to others and how you express yourself.
Your character and personality are connected because they work together. Your character is the inside part that makes you who you are. And your personality is like the outer part of you that other people can see.
Building a great personality has been a central theme in most books on business success written in the last few decades. However, having a solid moral compass is more valuable and vital. Your unique personality can flourish when your character is founded on and shaped by good values.
Trying to act in a way that goes against your character leaves you feeling exhausted and disappointed. This dishonest behavior can damage your self-esteem and relationships in the long run.
What Are The Basic Principles To Help Build Your Character?
Just like having a good foundation makes a building firm and sturdy, having certain fundamental principles and values can make you more effective in your daily life.
These principles and values act like a secret sauce, adding an extra spark to your abilities and enabling you to accomplish your goals more quickly and confidently. You can start with the following:
- Integrity
- Dignity
- Quality
- Service
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Caring
- Excellence
- Courage
The most important work is the work you do inside yourself. When you learn to control your thoughts and feelings, you can control what happens around you. Some people focus only on what they can see and measure outside, but it’s what’s inside that matters most.
Summary of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Habit 1 of 7 Habits Summary: Be Proactive
Successful people are those who take the lead. Rather than waiting for things to happen, they create them. They don’t hold themselves back by setting artificial boundaries for themselves. They understand that their actions, and thus their character, are entirely under their control.
Sometimes people can’t control what happens to them, but they can choose how to react. They can use their situation to their advantage or let it hurt them. When people follow the “principles of personal vision,” they make decisions that help them reach their goals and dreams, even if things are tough.
In a Nazi concentration camp, Viktor Frankl was a prisoner. Frankl realized he was free despite his terrible circumstances because he could choose his attitude and behavior.
Frankl didn’t just wait for things to happen to him. He decided to take action and make choices for himself. He knew he was in charge of his life, even in a bad situation. He knew he had the power to choose how he would act and feel, no matter what was happening around him.
Start being proactive by using words that show you take action and responsibility. Here are some examples:
- Instead of saying, “I can’t do anything,” let’s think about some possible options.
- Instead of saying, “I can’t” or “I have to,” I will make my own decisions and choose what to do.
- Instead of saying, “that’s just me,” I can work on changing myself if I want to.
Proactive people focus on what they can do and take action. They take responsibility for making things happen, and this helps them do even more. As they keep taking action, they become mentally stronger and can do even more things than before.
Habit 2 of 7 Habits Summary: Begin With The End In Mind
When you have something you want to do, imagine what it will look like when you’re done. Then, you can figure out what steps you need to take to get there. This way, you can stay focused on what’s important and not get distracted.
Sometimes, people focus only on things that might look cool or seem to make them happy, like being famous or having lots of money. But that’s not always the best way to be happy. Sometimes, those things can make people feel bad or get into trouble.
Carefully consider what it is that you wish to accomplish. Many waste their entire lives on something that ultimately brings them no satisfaction or harm.
To be successful is about attaining the intended goal. Visualize yourself sitting in the back row at your funeral. Think about what people would say about you if they were to be completely honest. Is that the legacy you want to leave behind? If not, it is time to make some changes and transform into someone who leads by example.
Create a personal mission statement that expresses your aspirations and the type of person you hope to become. Recognize your true nature. Figure out the transformations you wish to make, and put them into words. Follow through and make sure to stick to it.
Habit 3 of 7 Habits Summary: Put First Things First
Find harmony in your life by balancing your roles with intention. You can change who you are, which means changing what you do. Make sure you focus on the things that matter most, and don’t let unimportant things get in the way.
Most people spend a lot of time just reacting to things around them, like dealing with something urgent or unexpected. They don’t take the time to learn how to avoid these things or take control of their own lives.
Sometimes, they might immediately focus on things that seem important, but those things might not be as important as they think. It can be hard to tell what’s important because it’s not always as obvious as the urgent things happening immediately.
Don’t try to do too much in your schedule. Instead, focus on ensuring you have enough time for the things that matter.
Think about the different things you do in life, like being a partner, a parent, a manager, or a volunteer. Decide how much time you need to spend on each of these things, and put it in your schedule. Don’t take time away from one thing to do another; make sure you give enough time to each thing you need to do.
Habit 4 of 7 Habits Summary: Think Win/Win
When you’re in a marriage, business, or other relationship, it’s crucial to think about both people and how you can work together to be successful. This is called “interpersonal leadership.”
When both people can win, it makes everyone happy, and things go well. If both people lose, it isn’t good for everyone. When one person wins, and the other person loses, it’s not good either. It’s best to find solutions that work for both people so everyone can be happy and things go well.
People who are very good at getting things done try to find ways to work together so everyone can be happy. This is a “win/win” situation because everyone benefits; if someone doesn’t benefit, it’s not good because they might not want to work with you anymore.
It’s essential to work together and make friends so that you have many people helping you. People who are good at getting things done make friends instead of enemies, which allows them to be even more successful. It’s best to find ways to work together so everyone can be happy and things go well.
Habit 5 of 7 Habits Summary: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
When trying to work with someone else, finding out what they want and how they think they can be successful is crucial. You can do this by listening to them carefully and not assuming that you already know.
Understanding what they want and need is essential before you start talking about what you want. You can do this by putting yourself in their shoes and thinking about how they might feel.
Even if you disagree with what they want, listening and trying to understand where they’re coming from is essential. This way, you can work together and find a solution that works well for everyone. It’s important to be kind and respectful to each other and to work together as a team to achieve a win/win solution.
Skilled lawyers have a strategy where they write a compelling argument from their opponent’s perspective before writing from their client’s perspective. They do this by understanding their opponent’s most potent arguments first.
This approach can also be helpful in personal or business relationships. It involves understanding what the other person desires and why and then presenting your objectives in a way that aligns with their goals. This is called “empathetic communication.”
Habit 6 of 7 Habits Summary: Synergize
When people work together, they can accomplish much more than individually. In fact, with the right kind of collaboration, you can achieve something even more powerful than possible by adding up everyone’s efforts.
This mutually beneficial relationship is often referred to as “synergy, ” meaning that the outcomes are more remarkable when working together rather than separately.
Communication is vital to boost synergy. Some people ruin their chances of working well together by acting according to their usual behavior without thinking. Instead of listening, thinking, and responding, they only hear and immediately react. Their reaction may be defensive, bossy, or uninvolved.
They might disagree or go along, but they don’t work together. Two important things are communication and cooperation for a good relationship where everyone works together. You need to listen, think, respond, and actively work together.
Habit 7 of 7 Habits Summary: Sharpen the Saw
Once upon a time, a man was trying to cut a big piece of wood with a saw. He was working very hard, but he wasn’t making much progress. As he kept sawing, the saw became dull, and cutting the wood was harder and harder.
A person passing by noticed this and suggested that the man should take a break and sharpen the saw. But the man was too busy and said he couldn’t stop to sharpen the saw.
The story teaches us that sometimes when working hard, we need to take a break and think about how to work smarter, not just harder. It seems like we don’t have time to take a break, but in the long run, taking a break to sharpen our tools or think about a better way to do things can help us finish the job more quickly and with less effort.
People who are very good at what they do take care of their bodies and their minds. They have the plan to exercise that includes three things: endurance, flexibility, and strength. You don’t need to go to a gym to do this, and you can devise an exercise plan that works for you at home or outside.
Aside from taking care of their bodies, effective people also care for their souls. This means they make time to do things that help them feel good inside. This could be praying or meditating if they believe in God, reading good books, or listening to great music. Remembering this part of ourselves is essential because it gives us the energy to do everything else.
Taking care of our minds means doing things that keep our brains healthy and active. Sometimes we need to change the things we do, like watching too much TV, because it can make our minds feel sleepy and not very alert.
Instead of watching TV all the time, we can do other things that are fun and challenging, like reading a book, solving puzzles, doing math problems, or trying new activities that make us think. Doing these things can help our minds stay active and healthy, so we can learn new things and have fun!
Working on your heart is critical to building meaningful relationships and fostering deep emotions. You can communicate and listen carefully, consider others’ feelings, and put their needs first. Doing so will enable you to develop strong connections with those around you. By making these changes, you can become a much more productive person.