People have all kinds of habits, some good and some bad. Some bite their nails and others drive too fast. But then there are a select few that are habitually proactive and begin tasks with the end in mind. These last two are habits of highly effective people. What habits do you have? More importantly, what habits should you have? If you are not sure how to answer that last question, then you desperately need to read Stephen R. Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Covey’s book runs the gamut in terms of personal development. After the initial overview, Covey separates his book into three parts. Each part attacks a different facet of success. For example, the first part is focused exclusively on the individual. Here you’ll learn how to approach the projects that face you every day. Sound like your average self help book? It probably would be if Covey didn’t take an unconventional approach to task management. Einstein once said that, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” That quote pretty much sums up Covey’s philosophy when engaging your most challenging tasks. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People explains how you can elevate your thinking to solve issues that stand in the way of your success.
The next section of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People explains the principle of interdependence and the importance of seeking out win/win relationships with other successful people. No one is an army of one and everyone needs help to achieve their most ambitious goals. The next section of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People explains the principle of interdependence and the importance of seeking out win/win relationships with other successful people. Two heads truly are better than one and if you’re really serious about your success, you’ll need to help others with theirs’. In this section, Covey will teach you how synergy will help you reach your goals in short order!
Finally, Covey also understands that life can’t be all business all the time so the last section is dedicated to renewing yourself so you don’t miss out on the important things in life. Some people tend to get lost in the pursuit of their goals and forget about the important things in life. In the last section of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey reminds you to take a step back every now and then to enjoy life so you don’t forget why you’re working as hard as you are.
If you’re a nail biter or a speeder, then it’s time to get some better habits. With Stephen Covey’s help, you’ll reach your goals a lot faster… and without a speeding ticket.
If you would like to implement some of Stephen Covey’s best ideas, you can give a try to this web aplication:
Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage and prioritize your Goals (in each of your life’s categories), projects and tasks, in an intuitive interface. It has a Checklists section, for the repetitive activities you have to do, important but not urgent (Quadrant II, for example your routines/habits). Also, it features a Schedules section and a Calendar, for scheduling you time, activities and for the weekly review.
Some ideas from GTD are also present, like Contexts and Next Actions.
And it’s available on the mobile phone too, so you can access it wherever you are.
Hope you like it.