The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen R. Covey)
One of the most highly read and coveted books in many succesful people’s library is this masterpiece from Covey. It is a highly intellectual read, yet when broken down into the 7 Habits, it is a great balance of science, how-to and focus that blends to create the principles that continue to lead millions of people to personal and professional success.
I find myself reflecting on and referring back to the 7 Habits on a daily basis and when I am disciplined to following them, I reach enormous amounts of success. You can do the same!
I have taken numerous lessons from this book and the following are my top 3:
1. The framework of success is the 7 Habits. It simplifies life and encourages you to allow the 7 Habits to become a part of your life – moment to moment. We as humans tend to complicate things for ourselves and the 7 Habits keeps us focused on what is most important. All of the Habits have had an enormous impact on my life and I believe you will find the same true for you.
2. Circle of Influence/Circle of Concern is a concept that really influenced me as I was growing professionally early in my career and has continued to be something I refer back to often. It states to focus on what you can control in your life (circle of influence) and not put too much energy and effort into things that you are concerned with, but don’t have any influence over. When you focus on your job and doing it well versus focusing on other things, you will have a much higher level of success.
3. Sharpen the Saw Habit has had the most influence on me. There is a story about Abraham Lincoln that stated when given 6 hours to chop down a tree that he would spend the first 4 hours sharpening the axe. There are many lessons from that story that can be applied to life, for myself it is all around the continued growth and development of your tools and resources (yourself included) to ensure success. You must be prepared at all times, as you never know when an opportunity will present itself.
This book is a must for anyone serious about success in their life and I encourage you to add this book to your “to read” (or listen to) list immediately. Enjoy the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I know it will have an enormous impact on your life!
In Your Service
Brandon Johnson
“Positive Energy Guy”
