7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen Covey (TEXT and AUDIO)

Briefly about the development of seven skills that are necessary for every highly effective person, and tips for working with the book.

Today we will talk about a book that is recognized as the “#1 international bestseller” on the topic of personal growth. It was published in 73 countries in 38 languages. It topped the bestseller list for more than seven years and was named “the most influential business book of the 20th century” in a survey of Executive Magazine readers. It is recommended by many successful people, and it ranks first in the list of books by German Gref. We will talk about Stephen Covey's book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

You'll learn why you should read this book, how to get the most out of what you read, and what skills every person must have to be effective.

“7 Habits of Highly Effective People”: text

Paradigms and principles

Over the past fifty years, the literature on success has been superficial. It described techniques for creating an image, special quick-acting techniques - a kind of “social aspirin and band-aid”, which were proposed to solve pressing problems. There are fundamental principles for effective living, and true success and happiness can only be achieved by learning to follow these principles.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People include many of the fundamental principles of human effectiveness. These skills are fundamental; they have primary significance. They represent a system of principles on which happiness and success are based. However, before mastering these seven skills, it is necessary to understand what our own “paradigms” are and how a “paradigm shift” occurs.

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The paradigm can be imagined as a map of the area. It is clear that a map of an area is not the area itself. This is exactly what the paradigm is. It is a theory, explanation, or model of something. Our attitudes and behavior stem from such assumptions. The way we perceive certain things becomes the source of how we think and how we act.

I remember a mini-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on the New York subway. The passengers sat quietly in their seats - some were reading a newspaper, some were thinking about something of their own, some were resting with their eyes closed. Everything around was quiet and calm. Suddenly a man with children entered the carriage. The children screamed so loudly and were so outrageous that the atmosphere in the carriage immediately changed. The man sank into the seat next to me and closed his eyes, clearly not paying attention to what was happening around him. The children were screaming, rushing back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing passengers’ newspapers. It was outrageous. However, the man sitting next to me did nothing. I felt irritated. It was hard to believe that you could be so insensitive as to allow your children to misbehave without reacting to it and pretending as if nothing was happening. It was easy to notice that all the passengers in the carriage were experiencing the same irritation. In a word, in the end I turned to this man and said, as it seemed to me, unusually calmly and restrainedly: “Sir, listen, your children are causing trouble to so many people!” Could you please call them to order? The man looked at me as if he had just woken up from a dream and did not understand what was happening, and said quietly: “Oh yes, you’re right!” We probably need to do something... We just came from the hospital where their mother died an hour ago. My thoughts are confused, and they are probably confused too after all this. Can you imagine how I felt at that moment? My paradigm has shifted. Suddenly I saw everything in a completely different light and, as a result, I began to think differently, feel differently, and behave differently. The irritation was gone. Now there was no longer any need to control my attitude towards this person or my behavior: my heart was filled with deep compassion.

It becomes obvious that in order to make relatively small changes in life, it is enough to take care of your own attitudes and behavior. If a significant, qualitative change is needed, then we will have to work on our basic paradigms.

The Seven Habits are not a set of individual psychological techniques or formulas. In harmony with the natural laws of development, this methodology offers a consistent and integrated approach to the development of personal and interpersonal effectiveness.

The seven habits are efficiency skills. Efficiency lies in balance - in what I call “P/RS balance”, where P is the desired result, and PC is the resources and means that allow this result to be obtained.

The essence of Stephen Covey's approach

“For every thousand who pluck leaves from the tree of evil, there is only one who cuts it at the root.” Henry Thoreau, American writer

What is efficiency ? Efficiency according to Covey lies in the balance between the desired result and the resources that allow these results to be obtained. That is, efficiency is not working hard 18 hours a day, but moving towards a goal with sincere care for the body, brain and soul. Efficiency is not the desire to put pressure on a person to achieve immediate results and lose trust, but the desire to invest time in developing relationships in order to take communication to the next level.

Basic principles for developing 7 skills:

1. Inside-out approach. All changes, according to the author, should occur “from the inside out.” When we change ourselves and begin to look at things differently, our behavior changes on its own with minimal effort on our part.

   Covey calls communication, negotiation and image-building techniques "band-aids" because they help solve acute problems and relieve pain, but over time they stop working. The reason is that our every action is determined by a system of views on the world, which is formed under the influence of parents, life experience and immediate environment. We see the world as we are determined to see it, and these views are difficult to change. Therefore, any attempts to correct behavior usually end in failure. Is it possible to sincerely smile at people according to Carnegie’s advice if you are hostile towards others and believe that no one can be trusted?

   When we learn to see the world through the lens of performance principles, we will truly change. Techniques and tools are also useful, but principles are at the core of great effectiveness.

2. Moving from Dependency to Interdependence. Learning the Seven Habits is a journey of personal development from dependence through independence to interdependence. The first three skills are devoted to the ability to control oneself and turn a dependent person into an independent one. The following three skills help you master the principles of interdependence, i.e. realize that only with the help of other people can we achieve better results:

   “Addicted people need the help of others to get what they need. Independents can get everything they need through their own efforts. Interdependent people combine their efforts with the efforts of other people to achieve the greatest result."

   Interdependence is the next step after independence, as it requires freedom of choice.

3. Continuous improvement. The skills are easy to understand, but quite difficult to follow. Covey admits that he himself has not fully mastered all seven skills, and this is impossible. We can only strive for the ideal, constantly improving throughout our lives:

   “Following the seven habits means a constant struggle with yourself... They are akin to common sense, which we all possess but do not always exercise.”

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Each of our "terrain maps" is based on the stimulus-response theory, which is most often associated with Pavlov's experiments on dogs. The basic idea is that we are programmed to react in a certain way to a particular stimulus. However, a fundamental principle of human nature states: between stimulus and reaction, a person remains free to choose.

The first and most important skill of a person who is highly effective in any situation is the skill of proactivity. It means more than just activity. It means that we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior depends on our decisions, not on our environment.

The ability to subordinate impulsive reactions to your values ​​is the essence of a proactive personality. Reactive people are driven by feelings, circumstances, conditions and their environment. Proactive people are driven by values—carefully selected and accepted.

Proactive people are also influenced by external factors: physical, social or psychological. But their response to this stimulus, conscious or not, is a choice based on values.

Another great way to determine how proactive we are is to look at where we spend most of our time and energy. Each of us is concerned or concerned about a wide range of issues and phenomena: health, children, work problems, the problem of national debt, the threat of nuclear war. We can separate all these things from those that do not have much emotional or intellectual impact on us, placing them in the circle of concerns.

If we take a closer look at our circle of concerns, we will see that some of the things within it are beyond our control, while others are subject to our influence. We can consolidate this last group of concerns by placing them within a smaller circle of influence.

• Proactive people focus their efforts on their circle of influence. They direct their energy to what is under their influence. The nature of their energy is positive, it expands and increases the circle of influence.

• Reactive people, on the contrary, waste their efforts in a circle of worries. They focus on other people's weaknesses, environmental problems, and circumstances beyond their control.

Problems under our direct control can be solved by improving our skills. It is obvious that they are in our circle of influence. These are “personal victories” (skills 1, 2 and 3). To solve problems that are under our indirect control, we can resort to changing our methods of influence. These are “shared victories” (skills 4, 5 and 6). Problems beyond our control require us only to calmly accept these problems as they are and learn to live with them, even if we don’t like it.

It is necessary to separately consider two things from our circle of concerns that deserve serious attention. These are consequences and mistakes. Although we have the freedom to choose our actions, we do not have the freedom to choose the consequences of those actions. Consequences obey natural law. They are in a circle of worries. We can make a decision to stand in the path of a speeding train, but we cannot make a decision about what will happen when it hits us. If the consequence of our choice does not suit us, we call this choice a mistake. A proactive approach to a mistake is to quickly acknowledge it, correct it, and learn the necessary lesson. This approach turns failure into success. “Success is the other side of failure.” It is not our mistakes—others’ or even our own—that bring us the greatest harm, but our reaction to them.

Practical task

Choose a problem that is particularly bothering you in your personal or professional life. Determine whether it falls into the category of problems under your direct control, under indirect control, or out of control. Identify the first step you can take to solve this problem in your circle of influence and take that step.

Habit 2: Start with the End in Mind

To begin with an end in mind is to begin with a clear understanding of your life's purpose. It is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of activity, into the cycle of activities and events, spending more and more effort on climbing up the ladder of success - only to one day realize that this ladder was leaned against the wrong wall. You can be a very busy person and still not be effective.

The principle of “begin with the end in mind” is based on the idea that everything is created twice. The mental, or first, creation and the physical, or second, creation are separated.

To a greater or lesser extent, people use this principle in a variety of life situations. Before you build a house, you create a detailed plan. Before you go on a trip, you determine your destination and the best route. You write the text of your speech before you give it. You draw a pattern for the future dress before threading the needle.

Habit 2 is based on the principles of personal leadership, which means that leadership is the first creation. Leadership is not management. Management is the second creation. Management focuses on the bottom level: how can I do this best? Leadership deals with the top level: “What exactly do I want to do?”

You can quickly realize the important difference between these two concepts if you imagine a group of people making their way through the jungle, cutting their way with machetes. These are the manufacturers, they solve the problem. They are paving the way. Behind them are managers, those who manage the producers. They sharpen machetes, create rules, manuals and instructions, organize programs to restore muscle strength, propose technological innovations, develop production schedules and incentive plans for manufacturers. The leader is the one who, having climbed the highest tree, assesses the whole situation as a whole and shouts: “This is not the same jungle!” How do busy producers and managers most often react to this? And here’s how: “Shut up! We are moving forward successfully!”

Efficiency, and often survival itself, depends not only on how much effort we put in, but also on whether we put it in the right “jungle.” The most effective way I know to start with an end goal in mind is to develop a personal mission statement. This method focuses on what you want to be (character) and what you want to do (contributions and achievements), as well as the values ​​and principles that underlie your character and your actions.

In order to create personal mission statements, we must start from the very center of our circle of influence, where our main paradigms are concentrated - those prisms through which we see the world around us. By placing the right principles at the center of our lives, we create a strong foundation for the development of the four life-sustaining factors.

A life centered on principles is characterized by wisdom, an inner orientation, the source of which is accurate maps, an accurate idea of ​​​​what is, what was and what will be. The right maps allow us to clearly imagine where we want to go and how best to get there. Awareness of the meaning of life comes from within.

A personal mission is not something you can write in an evening. It requires deepening into oneself, careful analysis, thoughtful expressions and many revisions in search of the final version. It may take weeks, even months, before you are completely satisfied with the results achieved and feel that you have achieved a comprehensive and concise statement of your deepest values ​​and aspirations. Even then, you will return to what you wrote regularly, making some adjustments as your views and circumstances change over the years.

Because skill 2 is principle-based, it has wide application. Not only individuals, but also families, teams and organizations of all kinds become much more effective if they “start with an end in mind.”

Practical task

Start working on writing your personal mission statement. Think about the big things you have planned for the next few days and apply the principle of mental creation to them. Write down the results you would like to achieve and the steps that will lead to them.

A few words about the author

Stephen Covey is an American expert in the field of business management and personal growth, teacher, and holds a Ph.D. In 1989 he published the book that we are talking about. At first it was conceived as a scientific work on the study of personal growth, but it was written so accessible and easy that it went to the people. Over the next years, he lectured on its motives and created the organization “Covey Leadership Center,” which quickly became popular among influential people in the United States. By the way, this work was published in millions of copies and in 2011 it became one of the 25 most influential business books in the world, bringing the author worldwide fame and recognition.

Habit 3: Do first what needs to be done first.

“The most important matters should never be subordinated to the least important.”

— Goethe

Habit 3 is a personal achievement, the fruit of the practical implementation of Habits 1 and 2. Habit 3 is the second, physical creation. This is implementation, implementation, a natural consequence of skills 1 and 2. When we talk about skill 3, we discuss issues related to life and time management.

The best idea in time management can be summed up in one phrase: “Organize your activities based on priorities.” There are four levels of time management. Each level builds on the previous one, giving us more and more opportunities to manage our lives.

• The first wave, or the first level of time management, is characterized by notes and memos, attempts to somehow organize and systematize everything that requires us to spend time and effort.
• The second level corresponds to the appearance of calendars and diaries. This reflects an attempt to look forward, plan events and activities for the future.
• The third level is a reflection of the current situation in the field of time management. Adding to the legacy of the previous levels is the important idea of ​​setting priorities, clarifying values ​​and, on this basis, comparing the relative importance of various matters.

Today, many have moved to the fourth, completely different level. It has now become clear that the term “time management” is actually a misnomer, since the task is not to manage time, but to manage yourself.

• The essence of the fourth level of time management can be understood from the matrix shown below. Its basic idea is that we spend time in one of four ways.

Effective people stay away from Quadrants III and IV because matters related to them, even if urgent, are not important. In addition, effective people reduce the size of Quadrant I by spending more time in Quadrant II.

Everything we do happens through delegation - either to our time or to other people. If we delegate something to our time, we act in the spirit of productivity; if we delegate something to other people, we act in the spirit of efficiency. There are two main types of delegation: execution delegation and management delegation.

• Delegation of execution means: “Go here, go there, do this, do that and report to me when it’s done!”
• Leadership delegation focuses on results rather than methods.

The right to choose a method is given to people who are responsible for the results.

The principles of delegated leadership are true and apply to any person and any situation. Interestingly, each of the seven skills falls under Quadrant II. Each of them contains fundamentally important recommendations that, if followed consistently, will make huge positive changes in our lives.

Practical task

Plan your next week using the time management matrix. Identify some Quadrant II activity that you have previously neglected that, if done well, would have a significant positive impact on your life, both personal and professional. Make a list of tasks that you could delegate.

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

“Win/Win” is a general philosophy of interaction between people. This is one of the six interaction paradigms. Alternative paradigms are Win/Lose, Lose/Win, Lose/Lose, Win, and Win/Win or No Deal.

“Win/Win” is a special attitude of heart and mind aimed at constantly seeking mutual benefit in all interactions between people. “Win/Win” means that all agreements and decisions are mutually beneficial and satisfying to both parties. When a Win/Win decision is made, both parties are happy and committed to the plan of action. People with a Win/Win mindset see life as an arena for cooperation rather than competition.

Win-Win thinking is an interpersonal leadership skill. It involves the use in our relationships with other people of all the unique properties of a person - self-awareness, imagination, conscience and independent will. It includes mutual learning, mutual influence and mutual benefit.

The essence of such negotiations is to separate the person from the problem, focus on interests rather than positions, develop mutually beneficial options, and insist on objective criteria - external standards or principles accepted by both parties.

1. Imagine the problem from the other person's point of view.
2. Identify key issues and concerns (not positions) relevant to the problem.
3. Determine what results will provide a fully acceptable solution.
4. Identify new possible options for achieving these results.

Practical task

Select a specific person with whom you would like to enter into a Win/Win agreement. Try to put yourself in this person's shoes and describe in detail your idea of ​​how he sees the solution. Then write down the results that would mean a win for you. Ask your partner if he or she is willing to discuss the problem until you come to a mutually beneficial solution.

Habit 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Let's say you have vision problems and you decide to seek help from an ophthalmologist. Having impatiently listened to your complaints, he takes off his glasses and hands them to you with the words:

- Here, put it on! I've been wearing these glasses for ten years now, and they help me a lot. I have spare ones at home; take these and wear them! You put on glasses, but you see even worse with them. - Terrible glasses! - you exclaim. - I don’t see anything in them! - Can't be! - the ophthalmologist is surprised. - They help me great. Try again. - Yes, I'm trying! - you answer. - Everything is blurry! - What's wrong with you? Try to be positive! - Fine! But I don’t see anything positive in them! - Well, my dear, how ungrateful you are! - the ophthalmologist is indignant. - And this is after everything I did to help you!

What are the chances that you will see the same eye doctor the next time you need help again?

The ability to communicate is the most important skill in a person’s life. When we are awake, we communicate almost all the time. But here’s the paradox: we spend years learning to read and write, years learning to speak. What about listening? What training have you taken to learn how to listen? Listening in a way that truly, deeply understands the other person and sees things from their point of view?

The principle of “Seek First to Understand” is associated with a profound paradigm shift. We usually strive to be understood first. Most people listen not with the intention of understanding, but with the intention of responding. They either speak or are preparing to speak.

Empathic listening means much more than registering, reflecting, or even understanding the words being spoken. With empathic listening, you listen with your ears, but also - and this is much more important - you listen with your eyes and heart. You listen not only to the meaning, but also to the feelings. You "listen" to the person's behavior.

Because we listen with our past experiences in mind, with our biography in mind, we typically respond in one of four ways. We evaluate - agree or disagree; we inquire - we ask questions based on our value system; we advise - we give recommendations based on our personal experience; interpret - we try to understand the character of this or that person, explain his motives and actions, based on our own motives and actions.

Before you raise a problem, before you evaluate and advise, before you present your ideas, try to understand. This is a powerful skill for effective interdependence. When we truly, deeply understand each other, we open doors to creative solutions and third alternatives. The differences between us cease to be insurmountable obstacles to communication and development. On the contrary, they become steps leading to synergy.

Practical task

Talk about empathy to someone close to you. Tell him or her that you would like to learn how to truly listen to others, and ask him or her to evaluate your progress in a week. How well did you do this? What impact did this have on your communication partner?

Habit 6: Achieve Synergy

Synergy is an activity of the highest order - a true test and manifestation of all other skills combined together. The highest manifestations of synergy occur when we face life's most difficult problems and focus on them the four unique human characteristics, Win/Win motivation and empathic communication skills. The results of this are akin to a miracle. We are creating new alternatives - something that did not exist before. Synergy is the essence of principle-based leadership. Simply put, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

• The key to interpersonal synergy is intrapersonal synergy, the synergy within ourselves.
• The essence of intrapersonal synergy is embodied in the principles of the first three skills, which give a person internal security sufficient to open up and not be afraid to become vulnerable.

By mastering these principles, we develop a sufficiency mentality, a Win/Win mindset, and Habit 5 sincerity.

The essence of synergy is to appreciate the differences between people - differences in mentality, in the emotional sphere and psychological differences. And the key to appreciating differences lies in recognizing that all people see the world not as it is, but as they themselves are.

A truly effective person has enough humility and respect for others to recognize the limitations of his own perceptions and to appreciate the rich opportunities available to him through interaction with the hearts and minds of others. Relying only on our own experience, we constantly lack information.

The synergy is powerful. Synergy is a true principle. It is the highest achievement of all previous skills. Synergy is efficiency in an interdependent reality. This is team building, teamwork, developing cohesion and creative interaction with other people. Although you cannot control other people's paradigms or the synergistic process itself, the main factors of synergy lie within your circle of influence.

Practical task

Think about who you know usually sees things differently than you do. Try to use these differences as stepping stones to third-alternative solutions. Say, you might ask this person for their opinion on a current project or issue, appreciating their likely differences from your point of view.

Emotional Bank Account

As the author noted at the beginning, by developing skills we move from the level of dependence to interdependence. To develop interdependence and relationships with others, as well as develop the following skills, the author suggests using the following 6 rules (deposits into an emotional bank account):

1. Understanding

Seeking to truly understand another person is perhaps one of the most significant contributions you can make and is the key to all other contributions. It is important to remember that we tend to project onto others what we consider important to ourselves. It is necessary to learn to go beyond these boundaries in order to be able to hear the other person and understand what is truly important to him.

1. Attention to details

Small gestures of kindness and kind, caring behavior go a long way toward replenishing your emotional bank account. Remember that in relationships between people, little things happen, and at heart most people are very sensitive and vulnerable.

1. Execution of obligations

Keeping promises or commitments is an effective way to replenish your emotional bank account. And, conversely, nothing will cause such significant damage to your account as failure to fulfill a promise that someone thought was very important. This method works great with both business partners and children.

1. Clarifying Expectations

The cause of almost all relationship difficulties lies in conflicting or unclear expectations associated with roles and goals. We can be sure that unclear expectations will lead to misunderstanding, disappointment and loss of trust. Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to clarify expectations, because it's easier to avoid comfortable conversations and hope that everything will work itself out. Making expectations clear from the start is a good investment in the relationship. To do this, at the first stage you will need to spend some time and make some effort, but later this will result in savings on both.

1. Manifestation of personality integrity

Integrity in an interdependent reality means that you are guided by the same value system (principles) in your relationships with everyone. The integrity of a person's personality breeds trust and is the basis of many other deposits into the emotional bank account. This requires integrity, honesty and agreement - mainly with oneself, but also with the reality of life.

1. A sincere apology

If we were wrong and made a “withdrawal,” we must apologize, and do so sincerely. Expressing truly sincere regret requires self-control and a deep sense of inner security based on fundamental principles and values.

An emotional bank account is a metaphor for the level of trust that has been achieved in a relationship between people. It is the feeling of confidence and security that you experience in a relationship with another person.

Remember that quick fixes are just a mirage. Creating, maintaining or improving relationships (with colleagues, spouse, children, etc.) takes a long time. If, having not received the desired response or gratitude, you show impatience, you will thereby undo the good that you have already done. If the reserve of trust is not replenished with constant deposits, then the marital relationship is destroyed. Therefore, remember patience and the rules that we have discussed.

Habit 7: Sharpen your saw

Habit 7 is your personal resources and means (RS). It supports and develops your most valuable resource - yourself. It renews the four dimensions of your nature - physical, spiritual, intellectual and social-emotional. To do this you need to be proactive.

Spending time sharpening the saw is a distinctly Quadrant II activity that requires initiative on our part. In order to develop our own PCs, we must put pressure on ourselves until the activity in Quadrant II turns into a useful habit - a skill. Our PCs are at the center of our circle of influence, and no one but us can ensure their development. This is the most profitable, largest investment we make in our lives. This is an investment in yourself. We are our own instruments and, to be effective, we must recognize the importance of regularly sharpening the saw in all four dimensions.

• The physical dimension involves taking effective care of your physical condition: eating the right foods, getting enough rest, and exercising regularly.
• Renewal of the spiritual dimension leads to the achievement of leadership, and therefore is most closely related to skill 2. The spiritual dimension is your core, your center, your commitment to your own value system.
• Constant, ongoing learning that trains our minds and broadens our horizons leads to vital intellectual renewal.
• Updating the socio-emotional dimension, unlike other dimensions, does not require a special investment of time. We can do it in the course of normal, everyday interactions with other people. But this will also require effort.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People create optimal synergy between all four dimensions, and upgrading any one of them enhances your ability to live by at least one of the seven Habits. Although these skills are a sequential series, improvement in one synergistically enhances your ability to master the others.

• The more proactive you are (skill 1), the more effective you can become in personal leadership (skill 2) and personal management (skill 3).
• The more effective you are at managing your life (skill 3), the more Quadrant II renewal actions you can take (skill 7).
• The more you seek to understand first (skill 5), the more effective you will be in finding synergistic Win/Win solutions (skills 4 and 6).
• The more you improve in any of the skills that lead to independence (skills 1, 2, and 3), the more effective you will be in interdependent situations (skills 4, 5, and 6).
• And updating (skill 7) is the process of updating all skills.

Practical task

Make the same list of renewal actions for the physical, spiritual and intellectual dimensions. In the social-emotional area, make a list of people with whom you would like to improve your relationships, or identify areas where overall victory could be more effective. Select one item from each area and add it to your list of goals for the next week. Complete what is planned and evaluate the performance.

Rules for working with the book

“Before you start reading, I want to assure you that you are about to have an exciting adventure in learning new things... start putting what you have learned into practice. Remember: knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing. To be able to do it and not to do it is the same as not being able to.” Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey gives two tips that he believes will help you get the most out of the book:

1. Don't just read, work with the book . Constantly return to rethinking this or that skill when completing practical tasks. The book should become your main assistant on the path of self-development.
2. Share what you've learned with another person . When you share knowledge with someone else, you understand and absorb it better. So try to talk to your friend or significant other about ideas in the book as you read.

Let's supplement Covey's recommendations with advice from other people who worked with the book. Everyone has their own perceptions, so not all advice will suit you. But perhaps some of them will help you get more benefit from the book and finally begin to develop the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

1. Start with the seventh skill . When you replenish your physical, spiritual, intellectual and social energy, it will be easier for you to begin mastering the remaining skills.
2. Read the entire book before completing the assignments . The brain will digest the information received, and a complete picture will form in your head, which will help you better cope with practical tasks. If you are not ready for this yet, don’t worry. The knowledge gained will be stored inside you until it matures. And one day you will feel that it is time to open a volume of Stephen Covey again.
3. Read other people's stories . If you lack motivation to start practicing, read the stories of people whose lives the book helped change. Covey collected some of them in the book “Living Using the Seven Habits. Stories of courage and inspiration."

From the inside out

Change—real, real change—comes from the inside out. They will not happen if you "pluck the leaves" using techniques from the arsenal of personality ethics aimed at changing attitudes and behavior. Change comes from the roots - from your way of thinking, from your fundamental, underlying paradigms that define your character and create the lens through which you see the world.

Achieving unity with ourselves, with our loved ones, friends and colleagues is the most precious, most desirable and delightful fruit of the seven habits. Obviously, developing a highly integrated character and living a life of love and service that leads to true unity is not easy. This is not a “social aspirin” or a “band-aid.” And yet it is possible. It all starts with the desire to make the right principles the basis of our life, to break the paradigms created by other centers, and to break out of the deceptive comfort of habits unworthy of us.

By placing the right principles at the center of our lives and maintaining a balance between action that leads to results and the development of our ability to act (R/PC balance), we gain the opportunity to create an effective, useful and happy life for ourselves and our descendants.

Did you like Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"? Which of the seven skills do you consider the most important? Write in the comments!

Why you should read this book

“Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, was instrumental in changing our philosophy and the way we do business. Our commitment to quality and dedication to customers is rooted in the Seven Habits." Skip Loefow, President of Saturn Corporation (General Motors)

1. The book helps you approach self-development systematically , starting with changing basic settings and only then moving on to mastering specific tools.
2. The 7 Habits are natural laws that do not require proof . Covey is quick to warn readers that he did not invent the 7 Habits of High Performance. The principles that underlie them are part of human consciousness. And even if we suppress these principles for some reason, they exist within us and are waiting for us to decide to live in accordance with them.
3. The author gives many examples that show how skills help in life and explains approaches to their development.
4. The book is filled with wise quotes. Each of them makes you think and rethink many things:
   

   “You can’t force anyone to change. Each of us guards our own gates of change, which can only be opened from within. We cannot open the gates of another person's change either with arguments or emotional appeals." - Marilyn Ferguson, writer, editor and speaker.

5. The book helps you realize your contribution to the future. By changing, we influence the lives of our children. By developing high efficiency skills in ourselves, we are able to pass them on to our descendants:
   

   “You can stop the negative trends passed down in your family... You are an agent of change, a link between the past and the future. And changes in yourself can affect the lives of future generations.”

There are people who feel that the book is written in a watery, American style. On the one hand, this is a minus, but on the other, the ideas presented by Covey require careful thought, as they are aimed at changing the basis of perception of the world. The author examines the development of seven skills from different angles. This way his thoughts are better reflected in the reader’s head. This helps you embrace the ideas of high performance and accept them as your own.