The 7 Habits is about learning habits that can help you replace old patterns of self-defeating behaviour, with new patterns of effectiveness, happiness, and trust-based relationships.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is written by Stephen R. Covey.

The first time I consumed this book was through an audiobook. I found it so informative that I wanted to have the hard copy, so I did what anyone else would do and ordered it through Amazon.

What do The 7 Habits promise to deliver?

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is about learning, you guessed it, seven habits that, when applied, can help you replace old patterns of self-defeating behaviour, with new patterns of effectiveness, happiness, and trust-based relationships.

The 7 Habits promises several positive things will happen to you, including:

• Evolutionary Growth
• Increased self-confidence
• A better understanding of yourself in a deeper, more meaningful way
• Define yourself from within, rather than by people’s opinions or comparisons to others
• You will care less what others think of you, you will care more about what others think of themselves and their worlds
• You will no longer build your emotional life on other people’s weaknesses
• Find it easier and more desirable to change
• You will discover and unleash both desire and resources to heal and rebuild important relationships that have deteriorated, or even broken
• Good relationships will improve: become deeper, more solid, more creative, and more adventuresome
• You will be truly independent and capable of effective interdependence

Please keep in mind that these changes will not happen the moment you finish the book. They require time and most importantly action. You will be able to notice some immediate payoffs that will encourage you to keep going.

I am still learning and applying some of these habits in my life, and while I feel good about myself (for once) I know that there is a long road ahead to be able to truly apply all 7 habits in my life.

However, I truly believe it is a worthwhile endeavor, and will continue to apply these habits daily.

Does the 7 habits accomplish what it sets out to accomplish?

In my opinion, The 7 Habits accomplishes what it set out to do which is to provide lessons in personal change. 

With that being said, I think that you need to be in the right frame of mind to apply these habits. When I read this book for the first time, I was not ready to make the changes required to achieve personal growth. I simply read the book and went about my life.

This time around, however, I read the book and wrote down the action steps that were at the end of some of the chapters. I then found myself glimpsing over the action steps, so I bought the accompanying workbook to use when I re-read The 7 Habits.

I am re-reading it right now and using the workbook in hopes that I will apply the habits and improve my life. Wish me luck!

I will update this article when I am finished.

What makes this author uniquely qualified to write on this topic?

Stephen R. Covey was an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and author who dedicated his life to teaching principle-centred living and leadership to build both families and organizations.

His interest in creating integrated leadership and management development programs around a sequential and balanced set of principles evolved into The 7 Habits. While applying these habits to organizations, they evolved into the concept of principle-centred leadership that he taught throughout the world.

Stephen Covey not only taught these habits but lived them on a daily basis with his family. He claims that he did not master any of them but continued to apply them as varying situations arose.

What is the tone of the book?

The tone of this book is educational and informative. You are learning 7 new habits and how to use them in your life.

While there is a ton of information in this book, there are also lots of personal anecdotes from Covey that demonstrate how he uses the habit he is describing.

I find these anecdotes and stories very useful because they show a real-life application of The 7 Habits. They can be a good example of how you or I can use them in our own lives.

Overall impression 

I firmly believe that this is a book that we, in society, could all benefit from. Even if we don’t apply all 7 habits (and it may take a long time to work up to that), even applying one or two in our daily lives can greatly increase our happiness and relationships with ourselves and others.

Would I Recommend This Book?

Yes, it is definitely a book you want to have on your shelf that you can refer to when life creeps back up on you.

However, as someone who has read this book more than once. Most recently being currently, I believe that you have to be in the right state of mind to really put these habits to use. I have listened to the audio version which lead me to purchase the actual book because I wanted a hard copy of what was being taught.

However, I did not do anything with the information after I read it. I wasn’t ready to put in the work. Pure and simple. 

This time, on the other hand, the writing resonated differently. I feel like I am ready to put the habits into action and that I already am to a certain extent.

I am almost finished reading it right now, and plan on reading it again right after. I even bought the companion workbook for this time around. I will let you know how that goes in a month or so when I am done reading it for the third time.

Even if you feel like you are not in the right state of mind to fully apply The 7 Habits taught in this book. I recommend at least trying to read it because some of the habits only take a small amount of change on your part and can yield big results. That might be enough for you to keep reading and applying the Habits.

If you’re not ready to commit just yet, get the book from your library, then there’s no commitment involved and you can return it if it isn’t right for you just yet.

As someone who reads an awful lot of personal development books, I find the reading to be the easy part, applying what you learn to your life is the challenging part. 

When you read personal development books, have an open mind. You might not be ready to hear what is being said. That’s ok.

I have been reading them for years and only now feel like I have the motivation and right attitude to apply what I have learned.

Keep going, keep going, keep going…

What are your favourite personal development books?

P.S. I have learned a lot from this book and have written a few articles on the information that has had a positive effect on my life. I will list them here in case you would like to check them out.

• The P/PC Balance Principle
• How To Break Out Of A Funk
• Proactive vs. Reactive Language
• The Circle of Influence

OTHER BOOK REVIEWS YOU MAY LIKE

The Obesity Code

The Science of Getting Rich

Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life