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highly effective stephen covey effective people must read habits of highly common sense highly recommend win win years ago self help end in mind seek first to understand life changing begin with the end books ever ever read great read personal growth eye opening self improvement
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Charger
2.0 out of 5 stars Balloon Juice
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2018
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I finally decided to read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I had purchased it some time ago and recently determined that now was the time to read this self-help classic. What a COLOSSAL disappointment! I am amazed that this mediocrity is so popular. I found it to be little more than 1980s managerial balloon juice.

From “paradigm shift,” to “think Win/Win,” to (ugh) “synergy,” there is no empty self-help cliché left unturned. I should have stopped reading the first time I saw the word “synergy.” (I get countless “business proposals” in my email every day and, if I bother to skim any of them at all, I delete them as soon as the word “synergy” makes an appearance.) No word represents the trite emptiness of this book better than “synergy” – except maybe the verb form of the word: “synergize,” or the adjective “synergistic,” or the adverb “synergistically.” But they are all here. (The author also repeatedly refers to “things that are learned” as “learnings.”)

The book doesn’t even try to live up to its title. There is no argument at all to support the idea that these are seven actual habits that real people have used anywhere in the world to achieve real success. In fact, these seven so-called habits appear to be nothing more than seven things that the author thinks are really good ideas, with weird examples of how they helped him deal with his kid being bad at baseball and also helped his kid learn the value of cleaning up the yard. The book’s title doesn’t match the book itself, but then no one would spend their money on a book called, “The Seven Things Some Random Guy Thinks are Really Nifty-Keen.”

Here’s some useful self-help/time management advice for you: do not waste your precious time with this book. There are dozens and dozens, if not hundreds, of better self-help books out there. Synergize your win/win paradigm shifts with some of those.
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Tracy Liu
1.0 out of 5 stars If you are an intellectual, don’t waste your time on this book
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2019
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Bought this book for my class, and it was painful to read. Reading the book is like reading Instagram inspirational posts. Don’t really have to use your brain when you read it because basically the author is just going circle and repeating himself while making up new words to make it seem fancy. His argument is very poorly supported. The 7 habits mentioned are what HE THINKS effective people have. He even used bible character to support his points of view, so....Good for people who are lost and need directions. But if you are intelligent, you probably already knew most of the things the author says.
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ReaderTeacherPetLover
1.0 out of 5 stars I don't understand the popularity of this book. It ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2018
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I don't understand the popularity of this book. It is in corporate-eze and makes little sense. The popularity of these books that repackage common sense and classism makes me queasy. Act compassionately and die knowing you didn't fleece your neighbors. It really is that simple.
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Rub'ish
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for future generations. Encyclopedia of profound knowledge.
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2018
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Change is hard. How can I change? I suggest two practices for making changes in your life. The first is to follow your conscience. I speak a lot about the idea that between stimulus (what happens to us) and response (what we do about it) is a space to choose, and what we do with that space ultimately determines our growth and happiness. In this space lie the four human endowments of conscience, imagination, self-awareness, and independent will. Of the four, conscience is the governing one. Often, when we are not at peace in our lives, it is because we are living lives in violation of our conscience and deep down we know it. We can tap into conscience simply by asking ourselves questions and pausing to “hear” the answer. For example, try asking yourself the following questions: What is the most important thing I need to start doing in my personal life that would have the greatest positive impact? Think deeply. What comes to mind? Now, ask yourself another question: What is the most important thing that I need to start doing in my professional life that would have the greatest positive impact? Again, pause, think, and go deep inside yourself to find the answer. If you’re like me, you’ll recognize those most important things by listening to your conscience—that voice of wisdom, self-awareness, and common sense within you. Another great question to ask yourself is: What is life now asking of me? Pause. Think carefully. You may sense that you’ve been unfocused and need to be far more careful with the way you spend your time. Or you may decide that you need to start eating better and exercising because you’re constantly tired. Or you may sense that there is a key relationship you need to repair. Whatever it is, there is great strength and power in following through with a change that is endorsed by your conscience. Without deep conviction, you won’t have the strength to follow through with your goals when the going gets tough. And conviction comes through conscience. We all have three different lives: a public life, a private life, and an inner life. Our public life is what others observe. Our private life is what we do when we are alone. Our inner life is that place we go to when we really want to examine our motives and our deepest desires. I highly recommend developing this inner life. This is the place where our conscience can be most instructive because while here we are in the best frame of mind to listen. A second key to change is to change your role. As I’ve always said, if you want to make incremental changes in your life, change your behaviors. But if you want to make significant change, work on your paradigms, the way in which you see and interpret the world. And the best way to change your paradigm is to change your role. You may get promoted to be a new project manager at work. You may become a new mother or a new grandfather. You may take on a new community responsibility. Suddenly your role has changed and you see the world differently and better behaviors naturally flow out of the changed perspective. Sometimes role changes are external events, such as a change in a job responsibility. But other times we can change our role just by changing our mindset or our perception of a situation. Let’s say, for example, that you are seen as a control freak at work and that you know you need to start trusting others and letting go. Well, perhaps you could see yourself differently and redefine your role from one of “supervisor” to one of “advisor.” With this change of role, this mental shift, you would start to see yourself as an advisor to your team members who are empowered to make decisions and seek your counsel when doing so instead of being the one who has to own everything and constantly follow up. I’m often asked, Which of the 7 Habits is the most important? My answer is: The most important habit is the one you are having the most difficult time living. Use your endowments of self-awareness and conscience to help you sense which habit you may need to focus on. Often the best way to change is to pick the one thing, the single habit, and to make small commitments to yourself related to that habit and keep them. Little by little your discipline and self-confidence will increase.
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Mr. A. C. B. Ranatunga
1.0 out of 5 stars misleading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2018
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I didn't like this book. I read it as an 18 year old medical student. I had so much on my plate at the time, that going by the title, i expected it to make my life easier.

Wrong! It appears to be (on the surface) a book on efficiency (which is what i read it for). I was desperately looking for short term, rapid solutions to my problems.

This book made me trawl through 400 pages of disjointed, badly written pseudo-science, philosophy & religion. Far from meeting my needs... it was positively misleading. It did not do, what it said on the cover. It ought to be reported to trading standards, for false advertising.

It should not be recommended to young people, who require 'substance', and help, at trying times in their lives.

The book, is a false beacon... and a waste of time. It may, or may not be well-intended... But for me, Covey is a false prophet, making money off naieve young people's problems & anxieties.

It could've been summarised in 10 pages... Am not impressed... and am actually bitterly disappointed.
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Justin Ferrari
3.0 out of 5 stars An honest review
Reviewed in Canada on August 20, 2018
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I have just completed the most popular and widely-recognized self-help book ever written. Its impact and cultural relevance is real; even non-readers acknowledge it after a glance at its cover.

To be frank, I was not blown away by this book. Yes, there are tidbits of wisdom, but they are scattered sparingly in a seamless array of personal anecdotes, mixed with lengthy phrases in no way aiding what was originally a bald point.

I recovered from the book two very important points which could bring value to most intellectuals: a potential new time-management schedule built on a weekly framework which I will definitely try! The second stresses the essence of self-improvement through continuous reading to live life in crescendo as Mr. Covey so magnificently put it.

I did find the 7 habits to be applicable and relatable. I saw my own values and principles in most of them. Maybe I just did not enjoy the dry writing style and the over-usage of anecdotes. I was maybe hoping for more deep-diving in philosophical which ironically begins to appear at the end of the book in the Final Interview with the author. Overall, I give it 3 stars.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This book helped me rewrite my life.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2018
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Motivational books and these self-help related material are never something that worked with me when I seek inspiration or help or something to resonate with.

This book, however; even if I needed to 'endure' an unconvincing start, was revolutionary in helping me rewrite my life, help find purpose and deal with my mental health issues also.

I would summerise this book as: ''applied, logical wisdom'.
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Elaina
5.0 out of 5 stars the best book you'l ever read! 6 stars! life changing!!!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2014
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This book has been life changing!

I've seen it a few times but hesitate as I thought it would be another self-help rubbish. After reading an abstract of it I was very impressed and decided to buy it.

I was going through some personal difficulties in my personal and professional life and this book has changed my whole outlook on life. The reason 7 Habits is different from all other self-help books is that instead of focusing on the outside e.g. negotiating skills or building your reputation it delves deep into your core. The book helps you realize how we as human beings can change how we react, feel and see the world. It helps you understand what really is important to you in life. The book shows you how to be a pro-active person who lives in harmony with others. There really is soo much I've taken away from this book that this review won't do it justice!

This book is still on my bedside table, i refer to it and if I have children I will pass these book onto them!

This book gives a set of rules on how to live a productive, harmonious and happy life- to me this book is a bible!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2018
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Absolutely love this book, so happy I bought it. There are hundreds of books with similar messages out there now but this is one which i'll continue to read and revisit. The messages relate to all aspects of life with relatable content and stories. I have started to act on some of the principles straight away with immediate results
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