I don't think any of this is something I can actually implement and live with.

This was how I felt while reading -

1. Be proactive? Yeah sure, just tell me how.
2. Begin with the end in mind? Helpful.
3. Put first things first? Well, I need someone to get my priorities in order for me.
4. Think Win/Win? Was I thinking of Lose-Lose all the time?
5. Seek first to understand ...then to be understood? Doesn't that imply we've all been un-understanding all this time?
6. Synergize? Cool, fancy words now!
7. Sharpen the saw? Woah, Tell me again what were you talking about all this time?

This book promised me helpful strategies to make me live an effective life but well, I found nothing other than the same old boring bits of advices repeated x100 times. Sure, I did like it when he talked of his workplace, or his wife or kids. But he kept implying he turned his family into this amazing one, with these so-called 7 habits, instead of ACTUALLY TELLING US HOW HE DID IT. His introverted shy son became extroverted, smart and active. Cool. He rubbed in well with his boss at work while his co-workers had problems with him. He repeatedly shows how his life has turned for the best. But I still didn't get what he's trying to convey with this book. That or the point went right over my head if there ever was one.

Từ lúc sinh viên tới giờ, 6 năm
thì tui đọc cuốn này 6 lần.
Đọc lần này là lần thứ 7,
Và đây là một trong những quyển “tu thân” mà tui khó thấm nhất.
Mà khi tui thẩm thấu được một ít,
cảm thấy “đã não” vô cùng.

Cuốn này nó giống quyển “Hướng nội” ở phần đầu,
Là nó trọng kiểu người “tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn”
hơn là kiểu người “đẹp nước sơn trước cái đã”.

Và rồi kinh qua nhiều lần đọc,
cộng với vài trải nghiệm cỏn con,
Mới phát hiện ra dân gian ta có một câu tóm ý, đó là
Có “THỰC” mới vực được đạo.

Không trung THỰC, đời nó đập liền.
Không năng lực THỰC, đời nó đập liền.
“ĐẸP NƯỚC” mà gỗ không có chất, đời nó đập liền..
Có “THỰC” mới vực được đạo.
Không cần bất cứ chiêu trò hay mẹo vặt nào mà vẫn được người khác tôn trọng, quý mến và tin tưởng

Cái rồi, mình xin đem câu này,
cấy vào cái core values của công ty.
Vậy đó.
Nhiều người dùng từ CHÍNH TRỰC,
nhưng mình thích gói ghém vào câu này hơn,
Có “THỰC” mới vực được đạo.

- Hon, did you sleep okay? You look kinda weird.

- Well, I don't know how to say this...

- Yes?

- I had this dream where I talked with God.

- Was She black?

- No, I'm serious! I did! It was, like, utterly real. It was the most real thing that's ever happened to me.

The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)

This book explains 7 principles that make a person more effective personally and professionally. Covey shows how a principle-centered, character-based life helps you build the healthy relationships that are key to an effective life. This classic is well worth reading for its perspective and practical advice.

Concepts
Correct Principles: Covey frequently references his Christianity. He says the Habits are based on "Correct Principles" (aka Natural Law) found in Judeo-Christian Scriptures and common to major religions.

P/PC Balance: Covey says you must maintain a balance between production (P; your output) and production capability (PC; your ability to produce). You must stay healthy and renew yourself (see Habit 7) or you'll get burned out and become ineffective. He uses the fable of the Goose and the Golden Egg as a metaphor.

Interdependence: Covey says the Habits lead you from dependence to independence to interdependence (cooperating with others to achieve a common goal; producing things greater than the sum of their parts).

The 7 Habits
Habit 1: Be Proactive
You choose how to respond to what life throws at you. Between stimulus and response lies your freedom to choose. Take responsibility for your actions.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Choose your short-term, daily behavior according to the plan you have for your entire life. Think about the legacy you want to leave. Put things in perspective; what would you want people to say at your funeral?

Habit 3: Put First Things First
Daily planning is too narrow and short-sighted. Weekly planning gives a better big-picture perspective of your goals, and allows for the flexibility to deal with the things that will inevitably come up.

People are more important than things, so plan your time accordingly. Be efficient with things, but effective with people. You can't be efficient with relationships; they take time. Instead of focusing on things and time, focus on relationships and results.

Only spend time on things that align with your deep values. Don't waste time on other things, even if it means saying no to requests. Don't prioritize your schedule; schedule your priorities.

Think of tasks in terms of urgency and importance. Focus on the important, even though they seem less urgent. Think preventatively to keep tasks from ever becoming urgent.

Use stewardship delegation instead of "gofer" delegation; teach a person to be the steward of the task you assign to them, rather than constantly telling them to "go for this" or "go for that."

Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Most of life requires cooperation, not competition. Work together with co-workers, friends, and family for mutual benefit. Approach everything in terms of "win/win or no deal"; if you can't reach a deal in which both parties feel they're winning, don't make a deal at all.

Create win/win agreements that clearly state expectations, privileges, consequences up front. This prevents you from having to figure those things out when issues arise, and makes the relationship more smooth because it causes each person to manage themselves.

Think in terms of the Abundance Mentality rather than the Scarcity Mentality; the quest for recognition, credit, power, and profit isn't a zero-sum game. Be happy when others succeed.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Listen with the intent to understand, not to reply. Diagnose before you prescribe. Understand needs, concerns, situation before you give advice.

To understand others, listen with empathy. To be understood, present your views according to:
• ethos: personal credibility
• pathos: emotional alignment with the other person
• logos: logical reasoning

You can't motivate people by appealing to satisfied needs (money, status, etc.); only unsatisfied needs motivate.

Habit 6: Synergize.
Value the differences in relationships. Oneness is not sameness, it's complementariness. Unity is not uniformity.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Renew and improve in yourself in the following categories, by spending at least an hour on each category daily.
• Physical: Eat right and exercise.
• Spiritual: Find and carry an inner peace. Meditate, read Scripture, or spend time in nature.
• Mental: Read good literature to gain the insights of others. Write, organize, and plan.
• Social/emotional: Understand others. Serve others, at work or through volunteering.

Afterward
Covey says a summary of the first 3 Habits is "make and keep a promise," and a summary of the next 3 Habits is "involve others in the problem and work out the solution together." He says the first 3 Habits are about integrity, and the next 3 are about loyalty.

I know a number of people who rate this book seemingly more highly than any other, and maybe that is a good enough reason to leave well alone, given the constant sell that Facebook is giving me over Shades of Grey. I should have been warned, but there you go.
There is much wisdom here, let that not go unsaid. There are some very wise ideas and a number of insightful anecdotes to show how the effective habits secure financial wealth, generate business and mend relationships. Okay, there's nothing here that any well-adjusted person wouldn't instinctively practise as a matter of course, but as I read, I thought to myself, well, not everyone is as wise, well-adjusted and tuned towards humanity as I am, and this is just the sort of thing that might be gold dust to them, sad unfortunates that they are. It's that sort of book. I also had a sneaking suspicion that it all seemed too convenient that every time Mr Covey practised an effective habit, he met with unqualified success. "Don't be too put out if someone tells you to sod off whist you are getting off on synergising" is not one of the seven habits, but it is a useful one to learn, as real people do not fall so easily into line as Covey might have you believe.
If you are going to give this book a crack, then you will be interested to know that this book falls into three sections. Part one is where all the commonsense, intelligent, useful, everyday habits come. You will be lured in. Part two shows you the money with a battery of businessspeak and stories of high sales figures and management strategies that were aced using the habits. You will be... bored (unless you are a salesman, in which case you may well be enjoying your hard-on for synergy). Part three will guarantee your salvation, when you realise that it was all about God. That's right, it's evangelism for people in suits. You will laugh as Covey confesses that he had great tears streaming down his face when he resolved a family dispute regarding the choice of supper - cheese on toast or scrambled egg - through talk, synergy, a nice cup of tea and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Great stuff! Perhaps if there were more practising Christians in the boardrooms of the world, things would get better for everybody. I have no problem with that. I'm just saying that this is the way the book tends.

Stephen Covey and everybody who pressed this book into my hands with earnest expressions, telling me how it will change my life and make me a better person, can all go to hell.

النسخه المترجمه كارثه من كوارث الزمان
جعلتنى اكره الكتاب واكره المؤلف واكره القراءه بذاتها

I bought The Seven Habits at a yard sale for $1 with little knowledge of its contents. Years later, when my life dipped to a low ebb of meaning and motivation, I picked it off the shelf in hopes of finding a spark. Inside I found wisdom, compassion, a direct approach and a love of humanity.
t
The result wasn't immediately transformative. The methods and techniques Covey espouses didn't fall into place and turn me into a whirlwind of positive productivity. Reading The Seven Habits was just one of many moderate steps on a journey that, years on, still stretches endlessly into the horizon.
t
But the part that had the greatest effect on me, looking back, is the notion of the Personal Mission Statement; a written representation of who you are and who you want to be. It's a credo or philosophy, written to reflect your values and edited over time to refine the edges of your philosophy. It demonstrates the power of organizing what you feel and writing it down or speaking it out loud.
t
And with that I share my Personal Mission Statement; consulted often, edited occasionally, some points followed more consistently than others.

-When something seems wrong about how I pattern my life, I will analyze that pattern and change if it makes sense.

-I matter to others and they matter to me.

-I will look before I leap, but sometimes I will leap.

-I will write down my ideas.

-When I lose myself in reverie, I will turn to my to-do list rather than internet engagement.

-I will continue to write even if my content is receiving diminishing attention.

-I will carve out time each week to be around other people.

-I will favor truth over cleverness in my articulation.

-I will maintain my health through strong nutrition and consistent activity.

I will leave room for flights of fancy.

-I will leave the house with the intention of being early.

-I will act when I know there is something to do.

-I will write events on the calendar as they come up.

-I will minimize my multitasking.

-Not everything I say has to sound clever; I will make an effort to giving encouragement and obeying social graces.

-I shall ask for help and I shall offer it.

-When I wake up I will engage my legs or mind promptly.

-The names of others matter and I will learn them.

-When life gets stressful, I will harness that stress.

-I will speak well of people behind their backs.

-There are stories everywhere and I shall find them.

-I will respond to people online promptly; say within an hour or when I know what to say.

-I will go to bed when I feel tired.

-Not every big step will take me far.

-My Checklists serve me, not the other way around.

Start 2021 right! I am done re-reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Like I said in my first review, this is my favorite non-fiction and is still my number one favorite of all time.

Author's Writing Style: 4 STARS. Yay - Memorable and insightful, this is how this book is written. Each habit shares inspiring stories that are highly memorable. The author usually writes these stories in first-person POV. It is his personal experiences either as a father or as a teacher.

My favorite story is found on pages 258 to 260. It is a conversation between a father and his son. After the stories are the wisdom. These are the insights that are filled with powerful lessons.

Nay - This book highlights the value of being proactive. A proactive language says "I will choose to do it," rather than "I have to do it." The words "I have to" imply lack of enthusiasm; therefore, these are reactive choice of words.

On page 106, however, it makes me wonder why the author writes reactively, "You have to make sure that the blueprint..." and "You have to keep that end clearly in mind..."

Substance & Content: 5 STARS. Yay - The thoughts, ideas and stories are organized properly. While reading, I could not help it but put annotations. I managed to use sticky notes of different sizes and colors to highlight the pages that stood out from the rest.

The book is divided into two victories -private and public. The Private Victory consists of Independent Habits of 1, 2 and 3 while Interdependent Habits of 4, 5 and 6 are Public Victory. Habit 7 is about sharpening the saw. It integrates all the habits into one bigger picture.

At the end of the book, there is a website that is worth visiting. This website allows you to answer an assessment on Personal Effective Quotient (PEQ). I took it immediately and I received my result right after taking the test.

Nay - Sometimes, the lessons feel overwhelming. It is healthier to put the book down, and digest all the information. This book is possible to read in one seat but I decided to give myself a break. I spent re-reading the book for two weekends.

Also, I notice negative attacks on psychology. Of all the disciplines in life, it annoys me a why it has to be psychology.

Life in general, whether you are a proactive or reactive person, is about psychology. No one can dictate you how to behave proactively. Being proactive starts inside you - your mind.

On page 310, it sounds untruthful when the author says, "I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude - that you can psych yourself into peace of mind."

I'm not a psychologist but the way I studied Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, self-esteem is a higher need of a human being. It is a higher need than food, money and sex. It is even higher than love and belongingness.

The healthier your self-esteem is, the healthier your paradigms are. Peace of mind is achieved.

* * *

This is my favorite nonfiction book of all time. Habits 1 and 4 help me improve the way I live my life. It persuades me to create an invisible shield and protect myself from reactive people who whine, blame and make excuses.

Αποφάσισα κι εγώ κάποια στιγμή να διαβάσω ένα από αυτά τα βιβλία αυτοβελτίωσης - ψυχολογικής ανάτασης κλπ που κυκλοφορούν κατά κόρον από τους διάφορους γκουρού του είδους και προσφέρουν τα πάντα μέσα σε λίγες σελίδες.
Διάλεξα αυτό ως το πιο διάσημο μάλλον.
Εντάξει, δε λέω, ορισμένα πράγματα έχουν ενδιαφέρον, αλλά πολύ Αμερικανιά ρε παιδιά η όλη φάση.
Πολύ θεωρία, πολύ μπλα-μπλα, πολύ ακατάληπτα πράγματα γενικώς, που δεν βλέπω να έχουν ιδιαίτερη σχέση με την πραγματικότητα της καθημερινότητας.
Και έπειτα, αν κανείς είχε την αυτοπειθαρχία να ακολουθήσει όλα αυτά τα γραφόμενα, δεν θα είχε ανάγκη κανενός είδους βελτίωσης, γιατί θεωρητικά, μόνο και μόνο λόγω του χαρακτήρα του, θα ήταν ήδη υπερεπιτυχημένος.
Τέλος πάντων, αν θέλετε - έστω και από περιέργεια - να δείτε ένα βιβλίο του είδους, νομίζω ότι το συγκεκριμένο είναι μία καλή επιλογή.

Excellent system for getting more out of life and becoming more who we want to be. Like any such system, it can only work to the extent that you put it into practice, but consistent application of its principles does generate positive change. I find this book to be excellent on re-reading as well. It never fails to inspire me with hope and determination. We really do have enormous amounts of power to change our lives, far more than we usually realize. Showing us that power, and how to put it to good use, is the topic of this book.

easy to read :) but hard to do :D hahahah