The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People audiobook

Ever since I worked at the bookstore at Virginia Tech, I would watch the douchebag* business major undergrads buy this book for their classes and look down upon them, and the book by association, as, well, douchebags.*This is not to say that all undergrad business majors are douchebags. I've met one really really awesome one. Additionally, after working at a major university bookstore, a majority of all undergrad students can be fairly classified as douchebags. Jebus.Consequently, I never picked up this book. I hated the people who were reading it for class. I hated the people who were assigning it for their classes. I hated my job and I hated the area that I was living in. (I was, yes indeedy, a hater)Obviously it wasn't the right time for me to read it.My current boss (who is only occasionally a douchebag) is doing this huge self-help/life plan program, and from it, there is a major reading list. As I am a wee bit addicted to books, I immediately agreed, and when I started searching on Amazon for the reading list, "7 Habits" appeared on pretty much every single page. So I picked that one up too.Excellent decision. I chose to read it first. It has taken me, probably three weeks to read it. I have ordered (with my boss' blessing) "The 8th Habit" and will read that shortly.Every single page I found something that made me put the book down for a couple of minutes and think about it. I already know that I'm going to have to re-read this at some point in the near future. I would say this is required reading for humanity, but my father would have been the exception to that rule.Basically, this book will teach you about effective ways to be a compassionate, kind, enjoyable human being. It will teach you about personal responsibility (personal as in to your self, and to others). It will teach you how to be a better parent, employee, spouse, daughter, or boss. I can't give it enough praise. It is a truly outstanding book.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People = The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. CoveyThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a comprehensive program based on developing an awareness of how perceptions and assumptions hinder success---in business as well as personal relationships. Here's an approach that will help broaden your way of thinking and lead to greater opportunities and effective problem solving. Be Pro-Active: Take the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen. Begin With an End in Mind: Start with a clear destination to understand where you are now, where you're going and what you value most. Put First Things First: Manage yourself. Organize and execute around priorities. Think Win/Win: See life as a cooperative, not a comprehensive arena where success is not achieved at the expense or exclusion of the success of others. Seek First to Understand: Understand then be understood to build the skills of empathetic listening that inspires openness and trust. Synergize: Apply the principles of cooperative creativity and value differences. Renewal: Preserving and enhanving your greatest asset, yourself, by renewing the physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional dimensions of your nature. عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «هفت عادت مردمان موثر»؛ «هفت گام به سوی کامیابی»؛ «تاملات روزانه»؛ نویسنده: استیون آر کاوی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش بیستم ماه جولای سال 1997میلادیعنوان: هفت عادت مردمان موثر؛ نویسنده: استیون آر. کاوی؛ مترجم گیتی خوشدل؛ تهران، نشر البرز، سال1375؛ در189ص؛ مصور، نمودار؛ شابک9644420160؛ چاپ دوم سال1376؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، پیکان؛ چاپ هشتم سال1380؛ چاپ نهم سال1381؛ چاپ پانزدهم سال1384؛ در189ص؛ شابک9643280829؛ چاپ بیست و هشتم سال1392؛ چاپ سی و دوم سال1395؛ موضوع موفقیت - خودسازی - جنبه های روانشناسی و خلق و خوی مردمان تاثیر گذار از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا؛ سده 20معنوان: هفت عادت مردمان موثر؛ نویسنده: استیون آر. کاوی؛ مترجم محمدرضا آل یاسین؛ تهران، هامون، سال1376؛ در348ص؛ مصور، نمودار؛ شابک9649146687؛ چاپ دوم سال1377؛ چاپ سوم سال1378؛ چاپ هشتم سال1383؛ چاپ یازدهم سال1384؛ چاپ سیزدهم سال1385؛ چاپ بیست و دوم سال1393؛ موضوع: درسهایی برای دگرگونی خویشتن؛ از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20معنوان: هفت گام به سوی کامیابی؛ تهران، نشر نی، سال1376، در416ص، شابک9643122743؛ مترجمها: محسن اشرفی؛ مهدی الوانی؛ معصومه پیروز بخت؛ عنوان: تاملات روزانه؛ مترجم: حسن اکبریان طبری؛ تهران، مهرنوش، سال1379؛ در137ص؛ شابک9649133135؛ کتابی است مشهور در مورد مهارت‌های زندگیاین کتاب، تا کنون به سی و هشت زبان، ترجمه، و پانزده میلیون نسخه، از آن در دنیا، به فروش رفته است؛ «کاوی» در این کتاب، با معرفی «هفت عادت»، و آموزش گام به گام آن‌ها، چیزی که زندگی در شمال نام می‌برد را، معرفی کرده، و اخلاق منجر به موفقیت را، به خوانشگر خویش آموزش می‌دهند؛ عنوان ادامه کتاب «عادت هشتم» است؛تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 29/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 27/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

easy to read :) but hard to do :D hahahah

Holy cow, this is a book people either hate or they think it's great. There were so many one's. I didn't read the book so I didn't see all the charts. I listened to this in my car and so it was just the writing bits. What I really enjoy about this book is these habits he describes are based on universal principles. Every religion uses these underlying ideas. They feel universal to me. I really appreciate how he describes win-win. I have not been living in win-win and it made so much sense. I want to begin living life in a win-win mindset. It makes most sense, but will also take the most work. I must confess that I usually avoid conflict and then take the least conflicting way out, usually lose-win for me. I avoid situations I feel I might have conflict so much of the time. I like the way he talks about paradigm shifts. How you see or perceive a situation will make a huge difference in the way you react to that situation and feel about it. This rings true with everything we study in my school and ways we learn to helps people in clinic. So much of our own misery comes from out we hold a situation. Sometimes, we simply need a new paradigm and he described this way of thinking so well I thought.I also was drawn to the way he describes deep listening. Deep listening really is powerful. It is one of the biggest tools we have in the treatment to really connect to a person and really hear what they are asking for. I have actually been taught to deeply listen and it is truly a powerful tool to have. You can draw a person out with deep listening like nothing else really. I felt Stephen gave very practical and useful tools to use and work with to change. They were feel good pie in the sky things. He had real tools. Not a whole lot of advice books do that. I have read many self-help books and I feel like this is one amazing book. I see why it was so popular and has sold so many copies. I had 2 people tell me how good this book was in the last month and that's why I finally picked this up. It's been on my too read list for decades. For me, what Stephen is talking about here is a way to live at a deep level and work with people intradependently. This is the best way to accomplish great things in this world. I enjoyed how he spoke about dependent and intradependent. I like the word synergy.This came at the perfect time when I'm trying to get a business started. I need to really work with these principles. I found this super helpful for me personally. IT does sound like a lot of work.

The Seven Habits is a million dollar worth book which sow the seeds of effectiveness in the reader’s mind. The seeds grow large as the reader proceeds reading. The main message of the book is the 7 habits which every highly effective people possessed. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit.”Habit 1- Be Proactive Being proactive means recognizing our responsibilities to make things happen. This habit tells us to do whatever is necessary and consistent with correct principles. Work on the things which are in our influence to extend the circle of influence and spend less energy on the center of concern.Habit 2- Begin with the End in Mind Begin with the end in mind means to know where we are going so as to understand where we are now, and take our next step in the right direction. The best way to start is to develop a personal statement which describes what we want to be(character) and to do(achievement). Everybody wants to center his life on correct principles because principles don’t change. We can depend on them.Habit 3- Put First Things FirstThis habit involves self-leadership and self-management: putting first things first. Leadership decides what the ‘first things’ are, and management is the discipline of carrying out your program.“We don’t manage time. We can only manage ourselves.”According to quadrant rule, do things first which are urgent and important, then the things which are important but not urgent. After that things which are urgent but not important, and then all other things which are neither urgent nor important. Habit 4- Seek First to Understand, Then to Be UnderstoodListen is the most important tool for this habit. Listen but not with intent to reply or to convince. Listen to simply understand, to see how the other party sees things. Empathy is the skill need to develop for this habit.“Empathic listening is with the ears, eyes and heart- for feeling, for measuring.”Habit 5- Think Win/WinThink win/win habit entrails making an important deposit in another person’s Emotional Bank Account: finding a way both of us can benefit by our interaction. All the other possibilities- win/lose, lose/win, lose/lose- are ineffective either in short term or long term.Habit 6- SynergizeThe exercise for all other habits prepares us for the habit of synergy. Properly understood, it is the highest activity of life. Through it, we create new, untapped alternatives- things that didn’t yet exist. We unleash people’s greatest powers. We make a whole greater than sum of its parts. The basis of synergy is that two people can disagree, and both can be right. It’s not logical. It’s psychological.Habit 7- Sharpen the SawTo sharpen the saw means renewing ourselves, in all the four dimensions of our nature:· Physical- exercise, nutrition, stress management;· Mental- reading, visualizing, planning, writing;· Social/Emotional- service, empathy, synergy, security;· Spiritual- spiritual reading, study, meditation;To exercise in all these necessary dimensions, we must be proactive. No one can do it for us. It’s a quadrant IV activity.“To become strong, renew the spirit.”ConclusionThe first three habits take us towards “private victory” - the journey from dependence to independence by taking responsibility for our lives. Next three habits lead us towards “public victory” to the path of interdependent to succeed with other people. The seventh habit allows us renewing ourselves in mind, body and spirit.I would like to recommend this book to all those people who want to live their life fully, amazing and joyful.

I bought The Seven Habits at a yard sale for $1 with little knowledge of its contents. Years later, when my life dipped to a low ebb of meaning and motivation, I picked it off the shelf in hopes of finding a spark. Inside I found wisdom, compassion, a direct approach and a love of humanity. The result wasn't immediately transformative. The methods and techniques Covey espouses didn't fall into place and turn me into a whirlwind of positive productivity. Reading The Seven Habits was just one of many moderate steps on a journey that, years on, still stretches endlessly into the horizon. But the part that had the greatest effect on me, looking back, is the notion of the Personal Mission Statement; a written representation of who you are and who you want to be. It's a credo or philosophy, written to reflect your values and edited over time to refine the edges of your philosophy. It demonstrates the power of organizing what you feel and writing it down or speaking it out loud. And with that I share my Personal Mission Statement; consulted often, edited occasionally, some points followed more consistently than others.-When something seems wrong about how I pattern my life, I will analyze that pattern and change if it makes sense.-I matter to others and they matter to me.-I will look before I leap, but sometimes I will leap.-I will write down my ideas.-When I lose myself in reverie, I will turn to my to-do list rather than internet engagement.-I will continue to write even if my content is receiving diminishing attention.-I will carve out time each week to be around other people.-I will favor truth over cleverness in my articulation.-I will maintain my health through strong nutrition and consistent activity.I will leave room for flights of fancy.-I will leave the house with the intention of being early.-I will act when I know there is something to do.-I will write events on the calendar as they come up.-I will minimize my multitasking.-Not everything I say has to sound clever; I will make an effort to giving encouragement and obeying social graces.-I shall ask for help and I shall offer it.-When I wake up I will engage my legs or mind promptly.-The names of others matter and I will learn them.-When life gets stressful, I will harness that stress.-I will speak well of people behind their backs.-There are stories everywhere and I shall find them.-I will respond to people online promptly; say within an hour or when I know what to say.-I will go to bed when I feel tired.-Not every big step will take me far.-My Checklists serve me, not the other way around.

An outstanding book that leads you to the different dimensions of positivity. The author has suggested some fundamental psychological facts about our life. All seven habits suggest in the book is really awesome. If you will follow all these minutely then surely you will end up your life with a big name and fame.

I had to read this book for a professional development seminar. Then, I re-read it again, for personal reasons. It’s a book that is rich and dense, but worth the time and energy.The first notion that struck me was ‘the fundamental shift of perception’, which changes our perspective on things in matter of seconds. When I rose above myself and did this, all of a sudden I was not the same person. Quite a few things that I’ve been trying very hard to change for a long time, changed almost immediately.The second was the statement ‘listen, not to respond, but to comprehend’. I realized I’ve been doing just the opposite, ever since I learnt to speak. All those other advices I’ve received on effective communication boiled down to nothing, because they all focus on how to make the other person listen! If there is one technique that has improved my relation with people, both personal and professional, it’s this: now I listen to understand, see things from the perspective of the other. The book is worth just for this.I love his notion of synergy in creating values, but this is also the notion that pains me the most, because this is the least I see around me. May be it’s the human nature not to seek synergy, but, in any case, I’ve applied this in my personal relations, and that has changed my life.His chapter on renewal convinced me to have a role and goal. It’s so basic, yet I had never taken the time to do it. It gave me a meaning to my life, for the first time.

It took me months to finish the book, as I kept practicing and re-read the habits from time to time. Besides, the book's contents is very compact that requires full focus to absorb all the ideas. But it's worth. Remind me of principles in life, giving practical guides on how to change ourselves, how important human interaction is. Praises are not enough for this powerful book. It's a must read book for a man in his quest for excellence.

I spent four years at Columbia University in New York City in the mid-eighties. I thought I was getting an education -- but I wasn't. You see, I've learned the hard way that "education" really means learning how to deal with people, and one's emotional needs, and make plans for a rewarding future. The books I had to read at Columbia had nothing to do with anything as mundane as making a living or liking yourself or understanding how to work constructively with other people. But the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is different. I really, really wish I had read this book as a Columbia freshman in 1981. Of course it wasn't written till 1989. But I'm convinced that reading the 7 Habits would have taught me more than reading Homer's ILIAD or Plato's REPUBLIC. What Stephen R. Covey does is so much more than just telling sales types how to win friends and influence people. He teaches you how to think about what you really want from life, and how to express those goals, frame them in a workable context, and make them possible by connecting with other people. Those are all skills I didn't have when I entered Carman Hall in the fall of 1981, and I didn't have them when I left Furnald Hall for the last time in 1985. It seems to me that these fancy Ivy League colleges do nothing but rip people off, especially in the Humanities divisions. They don't teach practical job skills, or self-development, or leadership, or anything else. They don't encourage skepticism or independent thought. Nobody even pretends that reading Homer's ILIAD will help students find a job, or even know how to look for a job. Jobs aren't important, because, hey, only rich kids go to Columbia! And if you're not rich, you don't really belong, so who are you to question the curriculum? Of course no one expressed it in quite that way. When I was at Columbia in the Reagan Eighties, a lot of the more left wing professors took pleasure in sneering at kids my age as being materialistic and lacking ideals. They really made you feel that you had no business hoping for any kind of practical benefits from your education. And they were really, really clear on the fact that undergraduates had no business asking for help. They weren't there to help. They were there to lecture. And they weren't thinking win-win! If I could have my college education to do over again I wouldn't go to Columbia. I wouldn't read Homer's Iliad or Plato's Republic. But I would definitely read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People!

This masterpiece of Stephen R. Covey is one of the best books I've read in my entire life. Once you've read it, this book will transform your life in many ways you never imagined possible.This book emphasizes the importance of Character Ethic, instead of the Personality Ethic that we are so used to,

Start 2021 right! I am done re-reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Like I said in my first review, this is my favorite non-fiction and is still my number one favorite of all time.Author's Writing Style: 4 STARS. Yay - Memorable and insightful, this is how this book is written. Each habit shares inspiring stories that are highly memorable. The author usually writes these stories in first-person POV. It is his personal experiences either as a father or as a teacher. My favorite story is found on pages 258 to 260. It is a conversation between a father and his son. After the stories are the wisdom. These are the insights that are filled with powerful lessons.Nay - This book highlights the value of being proactive. A proactive language says "I will choose to do it," rather than "I have to do it." The words "I have to" imply lack of enthusiasm; therefore, these are reactive choice of words. On page 106, however, it makes me wonder why the author writes reactively, "You have to make sure that the blueprint..." and "You have to keep that end clearly in mind..."Substance & Content: 5 STARS. Yay - The thoughts, ideas and stories are organized properly. While reading, I could not help it but put annotations. I managed to use sticky notes of different sizes and colors to highlight the pages that stood out from the rest. The book is divided into two victories -private and public. The Private Victory consists of Independent Habits of 1, 2 and 3 while Interdependent Habits of 4, 5 and 6 are Public Victory. Habit 7 is about sharpening the saw. It integrates all the habits into one bigger picture.At the end of the book, there is a website that is worth visiting. This website allows you to answer an assessment on Personal Effective Quotient (PEQ). I took it immediately and I received my result right after taking the test.Nay - Sometimes, the lessons feel overwhelming. It is healthier to put the book down, and digest all the information. This book is possible to read in one seat but I decided to give myself a break. I spent re-reading the book for two weekends.Also, I notice negative attacks on psychology. Of all the disciplines in life, it annoys me a why it has to be psychology. Life in general, whether you are a proactive or reactive person, is about psychology. No one can dictate you how to behave proactively. Being proactive starts inside you - your mind. On page 310, it sounds untruthful when the author says, "I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude - that you can psych yourself into peace of mind."I'm not a psychologist but the way I studied Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, self-esteem is a higher need of a human being. It is a higher need than food, money and sex. It is even higher than love and belongingness.The healthier your self-esteem is, the healthier your paradigms are. Peace of mind is achieved. * * *This is my favorite nonfiction book of all time. Habits 1 and 4 help me improve the way I live my life. It persuades me to create an invisible shield and protect myself from reactive people who whine, blame and make excuses.

Paradigm shiftWe must look at the lens through which we see the worldWe first have to change ourselves, have to change our perceptionsWe see the world, not as it is, but as we areThe United States today is the fruit of paradigm shiftParadigm is the source from which attitudes and behaviors flowListeningListening involves patience, openness, and the desire to understandProblemThe way we see the problem is the problemHabitThe intersection of knowledge, skill and desireHappinessWhat we want now and what we want eventuallyDependence to independence to interdependenceLife is, by nature, highly interdependent Effectiveness (1) What is produced (2) capacity to produce - (P/PC)Effective people are not problem-minded but opportunity-mindedEffectiveness lies in the balanceSocial paradigmMore projections than reflectionsFreedom to chooseCan you look at yourself almost as though you were someone else?We are not our feelings. We are not our moods. We are not even our moodsBetween stimulus and response, man has the freedom to chooseWe are free to choose the action, not to choose their consequences Reactive peopleReactive people build their emotional lives around the behavior of othersDriven by feelings, conditions and environmentProactive peopleProactive people are driven by values -- carefully thought aboutTheir response to the stimuli is a value based choice or responseWhat hurts usIt's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens what hurts usVictor FranklThree central values in life: (1) Experimental: what happens to us(2) Creative: what we bring into existence(3) Attitudinal: our response in difficult circumstancesMeaning comes from withinLoveReactive people make it a feelingProactive people make it a verbCircle of concern / circle of influenceWhere we focus our time and energyReactive people focus on circle of concernProactive people focus on circle of influenceAreas of problems(1) Direct control(2) Indirect control(3) No controlProactive approachChange the formula, change the resultChange from inside-outAcknowledge a mistake, correct and learn from itBegin with the end in mindAll things are created twice. First in mind, then physically Accept the responsibility for bothHabit 1 says "you are the creator". Habit 2 is the first creationHabit 1 says "you are the program". Habit 2 says "write the program"Management / LeadershipManagement is the bottom lineLeadership is the top lineManagement is the efficiency in climbing the ladder of successLeadership determines whether ladder is leaning against the right wallLeadership: constantly monitor environmental change. Organize resource in right direction We are trapped in management paradigm, thinking of control, efficiency and rules instead of direction, purpose and family feelingRescriptingThrough imagination we can visualize the uncreated worldsThrough conscious we come into contact with universal lawsCombined with self-awareness, these two help us to rescript our own scriptMissionPeople can't live with change if there's not a changeless core inside themSense of who you are, what you are about and what you valueFankl: We detect rather than invent our missionsGoalsGoals give structure and organized direction to your personal missionCenter of lifeWhatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom and power Security represents your sense worthGuidance means your source of directionWisdom is your perspective on lifePower is the faculty or capacity to actPrinciplesPrinciples are deep, fundamental truths, classic truths, generic common denominators. They are tightly interwoven threads running with exactness, consistency, beauty, and strength through the fabric of lifeBrainLeft hemisphere: logical, verbal, parts and specifics, analysis, sequential thinking, time bound, manageRight hemisphere: intuitive, creative, wholes and relationship, synthesis, holistic thinking, time free, leadExpand your mind. Visualize in rich detail. Involve as many emotions and feelings as possible. Involve as many of the sense as you canAffirmationFive basic ingredients: personal, positive, present, visual, emotionalPut first thing firstHabit 3 is the second (physical) creationTime managementFirst generation: notes and checklistsSecond generation: calendar and appointment booksThird generation: prioritization, setting goalsFourth generation: challenge is not manage time but to manage ourselvesUrgentUrgent means it requires immediate attentionIts visibleImportant What contributes to your missionFour quadrants(1) Urgent / important(2) Important / not urgent (3) Urgent / not important(4) not urgent / not importantAs long as you focus on quadrant one, it keeps getting betterSamuel JohnsonThere could be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrityGolden RuleDo unto other as you would have others do unto youRelationshipsIn relationships, the little things are the big thingsIn relationship, fear replaces cooperationPeople are very tender, very sensitive insideKeeping a commitment or a promise is major depositBreaking one is a major withdrawalThe cause of almost all relationship difficulties is rooted in conflicting or ambiguous expectations around roles and goalsIntegrityIntegrity is conforming reality to our wordsLeo RoskinIt is the weak who are cruel. Gentleness can be expected from the strongRebellionRebellion is the knot of heart, not of mindThink win-winIt means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfyingWin-win sees life as a cooperative, not a competitive arenaThere is plenty for everybodyBelief in third alternativeWin-loseAuthoritarian approach. Prone to use positionWe are deeply scripted in the win-lose mentality since birthThe academic world reinforces itLose-winNo standards, no demands, no expectations, no visionSeek strength from popularity or acceptanceIntimidated by the ego strength of othersWin-lose people love lose-win peopleCharacterYour example flows naturally out of your characterYour character is constantly radiating, communicatingListeningMost people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with intent to replyThey're either speaking or preparing to speakFiltering everything through their own paradigmsReading their autobiography into other people's livesThe opposite is empathetic listeningEthos Personal credibility. IntegrityPathosEmpathic side. You are in alignment with other's trustLogos Logic. Reasoning partSynergyThe whole is greater than the sum of its partsSynergy is everywhere in natureEverything is related to everythingIt is creative cooperationTo value and respect the differencesThere is psychic synergy taking place in our own headManage from the left, lead from the rightSharpen the sawRenewal of four dimensions in balanceQuadrant II activityBuild your body in three areas: endurance, flexibility, and strengthWriting is a powerful way to sharpen the mental sayBe a positive scripter, an affirmerSee unseen potential in peopleSee them in fresh wayThe upward spiral Keep progressing, we must learn, commit and do (repeat)The lord work from the inside outThe world work from outside inThe world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change the human character - Ezra TaftAnd the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began - T. S. Eliot