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Our character,
basically, is a composite of our habits. Habits are powerful
factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious
patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and
produce our effectiveness... or ineffectiveness. |
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 We
are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit.
— Aristotle |
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"Sow
a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow
a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,"
the maxim goes. As Horace Mann, the great educator, once said,
"Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it everyday
and soon it cannot be broken." Stephen R Covey does not
agree with the last part of his expression. He knows they
can be broken. Habits can be learned and unlearned. But he
also knows it isn't a quick fix. It involves a process and
a tremendous commitment.
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo 11 were
transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return
to earth. Superlatives such as "fantastic" and "incredible"
were inadequate to describe those eventful days. But to get
there, those astronauts literally has to break out of the
tremendous gravity pull of the earth. More energy was spent
in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles
of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel
half a million miles. |
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Habits,
too, have tremendous gravity pull — more than most people
realize or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual
tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness,
or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness
involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes
in our lives. "Lift Off" takes a tremendous effort,
but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes
on a whole new dimension.
Like any natural force, gravity pull can work with us or against
us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently be
keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also
gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the
planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a
powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the
gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness and order
necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.
It's sometimes a painful process. It's a change that has to
be motivated by a higher purpose, by the willingness to subordinate
what you think you want now for what you want later. But this
process produces happiness, "the object and design of
our existence." Happiness can be defined, in part at
least, as the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice
what we want now for what we want eventually. |
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Stephen R Covey is a renowned authority on leadership, a family
expert, teacher, and organizational consultant. The author
of several acclaimed books, he has also received numerous
honors and awards, including being named one of Time magazine's
twenty-five most influential Americans. |
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The
7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Stephen R Covey
The
7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal
Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in
1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more
than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally
respected leadership authority, realizes that true success
encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness,
so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas.
His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as
from business challenges. Before you can adopt the seven habits,
you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm
shift" — a change in perception and interpretation
of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change,
which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity,
time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive
muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting),
and much more.
 Available
to buy from amazon.com
and amazon.co.uk |
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The
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Audio CD)
Anyone
who thinks the audio adaptation of Stephen Covey's bestseller
is a shortcut to reading the book has another thing coming.
There's a reason 7 Habits has sold more than 10 million copies
and been translated into 32 languages. Serious work has obviously
gone into it, and serious change can likely come out of it
— but only with constant discipline and steadfast commitment.
As the densely packed tape makes immediately clear, this is
no quick fix for what's ailing us in our personal and professional
lives. Throughout our lessons, Covey's presence is both learned
and thoroughly appealing. He drops references to the likes
of Socrates, TS Eliot, and Robert Frost with the aplomb of
an English professor. And his knack for mixing everyday stories
with abstract concepts manages to clarify difficult issues
while respecting our intelligence.
Available
to buy from amazon.com
and amazon.co.uk |
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The
8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
The
original seven habits of highly successful people are still
relevant, but Covey, author of the mega-bestseller of that
title, says that the new Information/Knowledge Worker Age,
exemplified by the Internet, calls for an eighth habit to
achieve personal and organizational excellence: "Find
your voice and inspire others to find theirs." Covey
sees leadership "as a choice to deal with people in a
way that will communicate to them their worth and potential
so clearly they will come to see it in themselves." His
holistic approach starts with developing one's own voice,
one's "unique personal significance." The bulk of
the book details how, after finding your own voice, you can
inspire others and create a workplace where people feel engaged.
This includes establishing trust, searching for third alternatives
(not a compromise between your way and my way, but a third,
better way) and developing a shared vision.
Available
to buy from amazon.com
and amazon.co.uk |
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The
Adversity Advantage: Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday
Greatness
Adversity
is one of the most potent forces in life. It shapes your character,
clarifies your priorities, and defines your path. It can also
fuel your greatness. Each of us faces a rich assortment of
adversities every day, ranging from minor hassles to major
setbacks and challenges, even tragedies. But merely coping
with or overcoming adversity barely keeps you in the game.
The key to success, both in business and in life, is learning
how to become an alchemist and convert any adversity, major
or minor, into a genuine advantage. The Adversity Advantage
offers proven principles and practical tools that teach you
how to use adversity as a force for superior achievement,
resilience, agility, innovation, energy, and happiness. Learn
to pinpoint and grow your adversity strengths to bring out
your best when you need it most, under pressure. Use adversity
to pioneer new possibilities in your work and life.
Available
to buy from amazon.com
and amazon.co.uk |
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There's
too much to do and not enough time. You've got school, homework,
job, friends, parties, and family on top of everything else.
You're totally stressed out. You feel as if your life is out
of control. How can teenagers deal with the pressures of every
day life?
The
7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teenagers |
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We were
designed to be great in God's eyes. Jim Collins's Good to
Great became a bestselling business book because it studies
the characteristics of great businesses. But should Christians
want to become great in the eyes of the world?
10
Practices Great Christians Have in Common
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Millions
of middle-class families can no longer afford to live on two
incomes. A generation ago, middle-class families lived on
the income of a single breadwinner. In recent years it has
taken two working spouses to live the modern middle-class
dream.
Discover
how to break out of the debt spiral |
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Many
people consider their jobs to be chores, something to be endured
in order to pay the bills. But God designed work to be a fulfilling
aspect of life. John C Maxwell's Life@Work equips believers
to confidently carry their faith into the marketplace and
make a difference in their world.
Life@Work
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