r/motivation • u/Learnings_palace • 1d ago

7 lessons from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" that actually changed how I work and live

Read this book during a particularly chaotic period where I felt like I was just putting out fires all day. Here's what stuck with me:

  1. Be proactive, not reactive. Stop saying "I have to" and start saying "I choose to." Sounds simple but it's a total mindset shift. You realize you have way more control over your responses than you think.
  2. Begin with the end in mind. Before jumping into any project or even your day, ask yourself what success looks like. I started doing this with meetings and it cut my time in half.
  3. Put first things first. The urgent/important matrix changed everything. Most "urgent" stuff isn't actually important, and most important stuff isn't urgent. Focus on important but not urgent tasks.
  4. Think win-win. Instead of trying to come out on top in every situation, look for solutions where everyone benefits. Made my workplace relationships way less stressful.
  5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Listen to actually understand, not just to respond. This one improved my relationships more than anything else.
  6. Synergize. Two people working together can achieve more than two people working separately. Sounds obvious but I was always trying to do everything myself.
  7. Sharpen the saw. Take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You can't pour from an empty cup.

The book is pretty dense but these concepts are surprisingly practical once you start applying them. Anyone else read this? Which habit hit you the hardest?

Btw, I'm using Dialogue to listen to podcasts on books which has been a good way to replace my issue with doom scrolling. I used it to listen to the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which turned out to be a good one.

Hope you like this post!

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22

u/Kapugen1 1d ago

Sounds useful if you’re not working with spiteful idiots

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u/Learnings_palace 1d ago

I get ya man, sometimes it be the people making you productivity worse not you

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u/hansolo-ist 1d ago

They are in your circle of influence, not control. Still can be proactive to seek win win solutions with them, by establishing common end in mind.

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u/Best_Butterfly_855 1d ago

Absolutely love Steven Covy, healed me from my childhood trauma. I like the exercise where he has us imagine our funeral and how we want to be remembered. Truthfully it put things in perspective for me.

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u/Learnings_palace 1d ago

That's a good lesson

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u/ccrlop 1d ago

Love Covey and the lessons that he left us with, which are timeless … sad he left sooner. RIP 🙏