7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Review)

There are not many books that I have read that have impressed me as much as "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" has. While many books profess to help guide their readers toward fulfillment and improvement, none do it so well as this classic. This work sets itself apart through a unique approach to the true nature and development of effectiveness, and a deep and resonating examination of the steps it espouses. The book organizes itself into two parts: the inner victory and the outer victory.

The inner victory sets forth the principles that the book is based on and discusses the first steps the reader will take on their path to effectiveness. It is here that this work differentiates itself from its fellows: while most of the self-improvement work of the past half-century have focused on personality tweaks and quick interpersonal tips to improve your effectiveness among others - "How to Win Friends and Influence People" is a well-known example - "7 Habits" begins its approach with a discussion of character and paradigms. The idea is that the root of ineffectiveness' problem is found in lacking strength of character and having a paradigm, or viewpoint, that is not in harmony with universal principles. The inner victory is to learn to apply these principles in our personal selves, before we even begin to interact with others. The book divides this into three steps: Think Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First. As Stephen R. Covey summarizes:

"Habit 1 says, "You're in charge. You're the creator." Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or mental, creation. Beginning with the End in Mind is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together."

The outer victory builds on the foundation of the inner victory. The Habits are as follows: Think Win-Win, Seek to Understand & Then to Be Understood, Synergize, and Sharpening the Saw. They enable an individual to transcend independent effectiveness and become effective in interdependence. While the inner victory establishes the foundation for us to be effective individually, the outer victory concerns working with others and gaining a new level of effectiveness as we learn to work seamlessly with others. It finishes with the last Habit: self-renewal, or Sharpening the Saw. As we take time to renew ourselves and focus on our performance, we enable ourselves to see where we need to improve and how we can further enrich our lives.

As I've read this book and applied the principles contained inside, it has done wonders for my life. I find myself being able to appreciate life on a deeper level and enjoy a richness in relationships - including the one with myself - that I did not have before. This book comes highly recommended.