The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is an EXCELLENT self-help book.

We learn as we read our at least we can learn as we read. I have learned things by reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Some of the things I have learned were small things. I learned the word paradigm - the word and the concept. I also learned about a time management tool based on four quadrants and had to face the fact that I spent most of my time putting out fires.

Putting out fires is not a Quadrant Two activity.

I learned that the more time I spend in Quadrant Two, the fewer fires i will have to deal with.

(What is Quadrant Two? Look below in the "I especially liked" section of this review, I list them for you.)

Another valuable lesson I took away from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was found in the chapter entitled: Seek First To Understand. I can vividly remember the first argument in which I put this principle into practice.

The argument was one of those that kept raising its ugly head in one of my relationships. It had never been resolved. We would often fight about the matter but there has never been any resolution so it would keep coming up time and time again.

Listening and listening and listening until I thoroughly understood the other person's position changed that. When I sought first to understand as Covey recommends, the matter was resolved and the argument was over and I learned a valuable lesson.

I think there is a lesson to be learned even in what I have just shared:

How did I learn things from this book?

Well, let's see. How did I learn about paradigms?

Covey wrote about having had a paradigm shift. I was unfamiliar with that word so I looked it up in the dictionary. Today, I would google it.

I had a basic understanding of the word from the context but by looking it up, the context gained meaning and became richer.

How did I gain the insight I have about the seek first to understand idea? I put it into practice. I tried it and experienced how it worked. And, I have never forgotten it.

It's the same with the quadrants. I just listed them below from memory. As I listed them, I swear that some of Covey's words echoed through my mind.

I prefer to have a book in hand when I am writing about it but that is not feasible today. I am writing from memory. I am remembering the things I used, the things I put into practice.

This book will not help you if it sits on your book shelf. It will not change your life if you read it and walk away.

"Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only" comes to mind. If you read Covey's book and close it and go on with your life, you will be like the man who sees his reflection in a mirror and walks away unchanged. If you read his book and act on his suggestions putting these principles to work in your life, your life will be changed.

That's a guarantee.

The idea of the four quadrants.

Quadrant I - Things that are urgent and important

Quadrant II - Things that are not urgent but are important.

Quadrant III - Things that are urgent but not important.

Quadrant IV - Things that are not urgent and also not important.

I believe Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is the best self-help book on the market. I believe it is written to help people and is based on principles that will never change. Because of that fact, this book was of value to folks when it was first published and continues to be of value to folks today and will be of value to folks in the form the road.

It is THE classic self-help volume. It is a classic.

This product review was written as a part of my writing project as a Nano Wrimo Rebel in 2014…

Created Nov 29, 2014 at 9:47pm

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Created Nov 29, 2014 at 9:47pm • Submit your own review...