16.03.2012г.
I read " The 7 habits of highly effective people" by Steven Covey. Then I read it one more time. The book is written in 1989 and it is a worldwide bestsellar, loved by a lot of famous people. " The 7 habits of highly effective people" is a self-improvement book. This genre is not among the genres I usually prefer and that is why it took me so long to sit down and read it. Now I realize my mistake because I think that everyone should read this book. Steven Covey won't just tell you that you should just think positive and the good things will happen to you. Everything written in this book is very logical and really effective. The habits are:
1. Be proactive - The logic behind this habit is simple - if we don't rule our lives we are bound to react to the wishes of others and to the circumstances. We should stop accusing other people and events and take responsibility for our own lives. You don't choose the things that happen to you but you can choose how to react to them.
2. Begin with the end in mind - The idea of this habit is to really imagine the end of your life, your funeral and to decide what is really important to you, what you want to accomplish, what you want to be your relationships with the important people in your life. Steven Covey advices on writing your own Constitution with principles and to take all decisions in your life according to these principles. Usually we take our decisions based on someone in our life or a circumstance but in that way we do not rule our life, it rules us. We have to take our decisions according to our own principles (our Constitution).
3. Put the first thing first - This habit is about our organization. Steven Covey devides our everyday activities into four categories - important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important and urgent, not important and not urgent. You have to do the important but not urgent things because people tend to never do them and they are what pushes us forward.
The first three habits are about our personality and with them we accomplish independence. Steven Covey consideres effective the intradependent person - an independent person who works well with other people.
4. Think Win/Win - Your relationships with others should be beneficial for both sides. I've heard a lot of successful people saying that without knowing who is Steven Covey.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
6. Synergize - This is a high trust relationship in full harmony.
7. Sharpen the saw - This habit is supposed to surround the other six and it is about taking care for your health, learning new things and s.o.
I hope I did not bore you with this long post but the book is worth it.
