Book 14: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

A book that has sat on my shelf for years finally found its way into my hands - thankfully. I was a bit itimidated by the stature and praise of this book, however found Mr. Covey's insights fascinating and on point.

The 7 Habits build on one another - you can not have Habit #2 if Habit #1 has not been established for the self. This was a wonderful follow up read to Awaken the Giant Within because much of the work Tony Robbins asks of you will serve you when reading through each habit.

Habit One - Be Proactive. Choose your path and know that your life is by choice, whether you are conscious of this or not.

Habit Two - Begin with the End in Mind. Go forward to move forward. In essence, once you choose your path, write your values that will allow you to end where you want to end.

Habit Three - Put First Things First. Habits one and two are about self-leadership, habit three is about management. Now that you have chosen your path and written the values that will allow your path to take shape, manage your life in such a way that you can live out your values day to day.

Habit Four - Win/Win. You can not move into win/win situations with another until your have achieved personal victory through habits 1, 2, and 3. Win/Win simply means both parties come to an 'and' agreement where each comes out in a better place. This takes patience and purpose.

Habit Five - First Seek to Understand, then be Understood. This is my favorite habit - listen without your own autobiography ringing in mind. Listen so that the other person can hear themselves. You will amass major influence without saying much at all.

Habit Six - Synergize. Once you are in this place of Win/Win and true understanding THEN you can share in the experience together taken your solutions to a whole new level.

Habit Seven - Sharpen the Saw. To maintain your habits surround your life with physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental stretches. Read, write, meditate, take care of your livelihood, ask, and give. This is an ongoing cycle of renewal which allows all the other habits to continue in harmony.

Quite simply, read it.

Andrea