The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (Habit 1 - Be Proactive) Summary

Summary

1. Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose. Man possesses Self-Awareness; Imagination; Conscience; Independent Will.

2. We are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a product of our own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of our conditions, based on feelings.

3. Proactive people are driven by values - carefully thought about, selected and internalized values. Influenced by external stimuli but decision is based on value-based choice or response.

4. What matter most is how we respond to what we experience in life. For example, the usage of Proactive Language:
Let's look at our alternatives
I can choose a different approach
I control my own feelings
I can create an effective presentation
I will choose an appropriate response.
I choose
I prefer
I will
5. Proactive people make love a verb - Love is something you do, not feel.

6. Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about. Changing our habits, changing our methods of influence and changing the way we see our no control problems are all within our Circle of Influence.

7. The Circle of Influence is filled with the be's - I can be more patient, be wise, be loving. It's the character focus.

8. Proactive people have the ability to make and keep commitments and promises.

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