10 Big Ideas from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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It’s long over-do, but I finally wrote up my 10 Big Ideas from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

What can I say … the book is a classic.

I remember when my Dad first recommended that I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People long ago.   In his experience, while Tony Robbins was more focused on Personality Ethic, Stephen Covey at the time was more focused on Character Ethic.  At the end of the day, they are both complimentary, and one without the other is a failed strategy.

While writing 10 Big Ideas from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I was a little torn on what to keep in and what to leave out.   The book is jam packed with insights, powerful patterns, and proven practices for personal change.   I remembered reading about the Law of the Harvest, where you reap what you sow.  I remembered reading about how to think Win/Win, and how that helps you change the game from a scarcity mentality to a mindset of abundance.   I remembered reading about how we can move up the stack in terms of time management if we focus less on To Dos and more on relationships and results.   I remembered reading about how if we want to be heard, we need to first seek to understand.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is probably one of the most profound books on the planet when it comes to personal change and empowerment.

It’s full of mental models and big ideas.  

What I really like about Covey’s approach is that he bridged work and life.  Rather than splinter our lives, Covey found a way to integrate our lives more holistically, to combine our personal and professional lives through principles that empower us, and help us lead a more balanced life.

Here is a summary list of 10 Big Ideas from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

  1. The Seven Habits Habits of Effectiveness.
  2. The Four Quadrants of Time Management.
  3. Character Ethic vs. Personality Ethic
  4. Increase the Gap Between Stimulus and Response.
  5. All Things are Created Twice.
  6. The Five Dimensions of Win/Win.
  7. Expand Your Circle of Influence.
  8. Principle-Centered Living.
  9. Four Generations of Time Management.
  10. Make Meaningful Deposits in the Emotional Bank Account.

In my post, I’ve summarized each one and provided one of my favorite highlights from the book that brings each idea to life.

Enjoy.