“7 Habits of Highly Effective People” S. R. Covey - 7 Main takeouts from the book

1. Be proactive

We spend too much time worrying about things that are out of our control. The true point of power lies in the things we can control and that is where are focus needs to be.

And when you do focus on your circle of influence, you expand it. As you expand the number of things and people you have an influence on, you have on impact on bigger and more significant things in this world. But you always have to start with your circle is at the moment and go from there.

2. Begin with the end in mind

“Alice: Which way should I go?

Cat: That depends on where you are going.

Alice: I don’t know

Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go”

Great quote from Alice in Wonderland which makes you think – if we don’t know where we want to go, how will we ever get there?

Envision your future, write down your mission statements, imagine your end goal and life as a whole. What do you want it to be like? Write it down, and go back to look at it often to check in.

3. Put first things first

Check in with the time table:

Important and urgent – do

Important and not urgent – plan

Not important and urgent – delegate

Not important and not urgent – eliminate

4. Think win win

Our success depends on the success of others. Life is not a zero sum game. Make it a habit to see how others can benefit from your actions, from your decisions, and then you both end up better off.

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

When you have a conflict with someone, it is a good practice to first understand their position and try to express it even better than they can. When you empathize with another person and let them know they’re understood, the conversion will shift.

Instead of attacking each other, you can team up to solve the conflict together. At the end, you are not against each other, you are together standing to solve the problem that you’re facing.

6. Synergize

The real world doesn’t work by the conventional math principles. When you team up, the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts. 1 plus 1 becomes a 3, a 5 or even a 10.

Remember, if you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, team up.

7. Sharpen the saw

“Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first 4 hours sharpening the axe” Abraham Lincoln.

Your axe is your body, your mind and your soul. Take care of your body, study, meditate and take some time to just recharge and do nothing.

Take some time every day for your gratitude practice, check out our Grateful Heart Journal here. And take the time to reset your mindset for greatness with some affirmations, check out our Affirmation Cards set here.

What is your main or favorite take away from the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”? Share with us in the comments below!

Photo credit @greykins