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7 Habits for Highly Effective Speakers

While 7 Habits is not specific to speaking, the lessons contained within that book have had a profoundly positive effect on my speaking pursuits . It influenced my decision to start Six Minutes , and I have long planned to devote an article to this book. When I heard about the passing of the author at age 79, I knew the time for this article was now.

Instead of selecting seven (speaking) habits of highly effective speakers, I thought it would be more interesting to discuss what Covey’s seven habits contain for highly effective speakers. In this article, I will briefly introduce each of Covey’s habits , and then discuss how speakers can adopt the lessons to improve their effectiveness as a speaker.

Habit 1 — Be Proactive

The first habit (the first of three focused on independence or self-mastery) is about accepting responsibility for one’s life. The proactive person takes initiative, and understands that success flows from making positive decisions.

How can you apply this to speaking?

Don’t believe the myth that people who speak well are “born with it.” Instead, understand that your effectiveness as a speaker is a product of your decisions and actions .

To be a proactive speaker:

• Take control of your speaking career.
• Seek opportunities to practice and improve.
• Study great speakers, and model what they do best.
• When things go wrong, accept responsibility. Don’t blame a bad presentation on lack of time, an inattentive audience, noise outside, or anything else.
• Resolve, every day, to be better.

Habit 2 — Begin with the End in Mind

Beginning with the end in mind requires that you determine your core values (i.e. what matters most to you). From them, you should develop a principle-centered personal mission statement and craft goals which support that mission.

What is your desired end from speaking? (Think about your life’s mission, and how speaking can support it.)

• Become a better leader in your workplace?
• Motivate your religious congregation?
• Fight for your civic priorities as a political speaker?
• Augment your income with speaking fees?
• Become a world-famous motivational speaker?
• Be an advocate for your chosen charity?
• Win the World Championship of Public Speaking?

Keeping your eye on your long-term speaking end will help you take the hard, but necessary, steps to achieve it. Use your long-term speaking goal to guide short-term actions.

Habit 3 — Put First Things First

The “first things” are high importance tasks which lead you toward future goals, not necessarily those things which are urgent at the moment. It is critical to avoid the temptation to always focus on urgent tasks, and instead make time to devote to higher importance, longer-lasting activities.

When speaking regularly, it’s tempting to get bogged down in the small details. Does this sound familiar?

• Do you obsess about what an audience will think of your clothing?
• Do you curse yourself for forgetting some material in your last presentation?
• Do you cringe every time you utter an ‘um’ or some other filler word?

No, that’s not where you should be spending your thoughts. Instead, keep your speaking compass pointed at the really important things :

• Are you providing value and communicating your message to your audience?
• Are you preparing adequately?
• Are you moving forward toward your long-term speaking goals?
• Are you devoting time to improve your content (and visuals) and hone your stories, in between speaking opportunities?
• Are you staying current?

Habit 4 — Think Win/Win

The fourth habit (the first of three focussed on interdependence) advocates striving for mutually beneficial solutions. Situations where both parties “win” tend to nurture relationships, while win/lose scenarios damage relationships.

Remember that your success as a speaker is tied directly to whether your audience “wins” by attending your presentation. It isn’t enough to ace your marketing efforts, sign a contract for a big speaking fee, walk off the stage to thundering applause, or reap profits by selling your wares at the back of the room. If all of those things happen, but you haven’t improved your audience’s bottom line (financial or otherwise), you’ve failed.

Focus relentlessly on providing maximum value for your audience. If you do that, then the rest will come (fees, applause, profits, …).

Habit 5 — Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Just as it sounds, the fifth habit encourages you to first listen with empathy and understand others, and then speak to have yourself understood.

Audience analysis. Audience analysis. Audience analysis.

Instead of focussing on what you want to say (speaker-centric communication), focus on what the audience needs to hear (audience-centric communication). Audience analysis (or just plain asking them) reveals the mindset of your audience. What is keeping them up at night? What problems do they have? What’s the source of their problem? What beliefs so they have? What are their values? What information do they need?

Once you truly understand your audience’s perspective, you will find it much more straightforward to craft your message to reach them.

Habit 6 — Synergize

The sixth habit is about achieving synergy in your relationships, and in all interpersonal interactions. When both parties commit to work together, the results can be greater than either party could achieve independently.

Most speaking situations set up a clear hierarchical relationship, reflected in the fact that the speaker is physically and metaphorically separate from the audience. As the speaker, you are in control. You are in the power position. You have the answers. The audience is secondary. They are passive. They have problems. They need you…

Wait a minute! Do you see a problem with this line of thinking? When viewed through this hierarchical lens, your presentation may seem like a conflict: you versus them. You are trying to persuade, and they are trying to resist. But conflict is not what you should be striving to achieve.

Instead, approach each presentation as an opportunity to work together with the audience to tackle a common problem. By embracing this mindset, you’ll be more likely to bridge the gap between you and the audience. You’ll be more likely to interact comfortably with them. Since you are on the same side, you’ll also feel less stress and thus be able to concentrate on providing full value.

Habit 7 — Sharpen the Saw

“Sharpen the saw” is one of my favorite mantras. This seventh habit advocates balance in life, and spending time to rejuvenate yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For example, regular exercise is a classic “sharpen the saw” activity; with a healthy body, you’ll be more effective in the other six habits!

I could fill a whole article with “sharpen the saw” activities for speakers, but here’s just a small sample of rejuvenation activities:

• Read speaking books and blogs to hone your knowledge.
• Watch speakers who inspire you (like those at TED ).
• Reflect on past presentations, review feedback, and take steps to improve.

That’s not all. General “sharpen the saw” activities can help your speaking effectiveness too. For example:

• Better physical fitness will give you more energy on stage, and more stamina when delivering lengthy sessions such as an all-day course.
• A healthier diet consisting of more water, and less sugar and caffeine drinks will improve the quality of your voice.

Get a Copy of Seven Habits

To keep this article manageable, I chose to offer only brief coverage of Covey’s classic book. However, there are many more nuggets of wisdom contained in those pages. I reap more rewards each time I read this book.

I highly recommend reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . (It has been in the amazon.com top 100 for the past 1634 days — 4.5 years! )

Embracing the habits will have a lasting, positive effect on your speaking and on your entire life.

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I also loved Covey’s book and was very saddened by his death. Thank you very much for such a crisp summary of his points and their application to public speaking.

In the end, it all comes down to adding value to your audience, be it directly (habits 4, 5 & 6) or indirectly by working on yourself (habits 1, 2, 3 & 7). Thanks for this great post, Andrew!

Question: Can you recommend World-class Spanish-speaking public speakers?

Check out this valedictorian’s speech at my son’s high school. He really nailed it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqqikde-mvE

I liked it. “Begin with the End in Mind”

Hi Andrew, I really like this advice “approach each presentation as an opportunity to work together with the audience to tackle a common problem”. I teach classes on various subjects, and I’m also a performing musician and singer. One thing I noticed, is that when I make a conscious effort to tune into my audience/students, I am way more effective at reaching them by giving them exactly what they need in that moment.

This is very wonderful blog filled with powerful content.

Thank you for the good tips. With all due respect, check paragraph “Get a copy..”, and change “there’s” to “there are” or “they’re”. Obviously, my website is still under construction.

Really great article. Being proactive and synergizing relationships also involves developing a strong brand for yourself. This article http://dbiweb.us/2aFS868 contains a useful outline in order to effectively brand and rebrand yourself in the digital landscape.

Thank you! M.ODonovan

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7 Habits of Highly Effective People [Summary & Takeaways]

Published: May 16, 2023

Stephen Covey's best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , provides a comprehensive framework for developing healthy habits to make you a more prosperous and effective individual.

The best-selling book provides a framework for developing healthy habits to make you a more prosperous and effective individual.

Don't have time to read all 432 pages? Don’t sweat it. Most of us don’t. That's why we summarized the entire book for you below.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is a self-improvement book. It is written on Covey's belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions.

The Foundations of Success

Before discussing the seven habits in detail, let’s review the foundation Covey argues is necessary for implementing an effective and successful mindset.

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What is success?

• Covey postulates that true success is more than just achieving wealth or fame. Instead, it necessitates personal growth and fulfillment.
• He supports this claim by discussing traditionally "successful" individuals who struggle with personal effectiveness and relationship health despite their material wealth and accolades.
• Paradigms are models for perception and understanding that shape how we view and interact with the world.
• Covey argues that a paradigm shift is necessary to cultivate effective habits — specifically, a change from a mindset of scarcity and victimhood to one of abundance and responsibility.
• Covey defines principles as fundamental truths that must be lived and internalized to achieve lasting success.
• Covey identifies several principles that he believes are essential for personal effectiveness, including:
• Persistence.
• Continuous Learning.

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Boost your efficiency with this free productivity maximization guide., character ethic vs. personality ethic.

• Covey defines a cultural shift in the understanding of success around the 1920s, where the focus shifted from fundamental character traits to skills and practices that bolster the public image.
• Character Ethic. Pre-1920, the general view of success was based on the principles mentioned above. Fundamental traits like integrity, courage, and patience were viewed as the basis of success.
• Personality Ethic. Post-1920, the view of success shifted, emphasizing secondary traits and skills that support a robust public image.

To bring about genuine and lasting change, we need to undergo a paradigm shift, which means changing our fundamental beliefs, assumptions, and values rather than merely modifying our attitudes and behaviors on the surface level.

That's where the seven habits of highly effective people come in. Now, let's dive into the seven habits.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Be proactive.

• Begin With the End in Mind

Put First Things First

Think win-win, seek first to understand, then to be understood, sharpen the saw.

These seven habits are grouped into three categories: Private victory (habits 1-3), Public victory (habits 4-6), and Renewal (habit 7). We’ll start with an overview, then discuss the habits in each category.

Take responsibility for your life and actions, and focus on what you can control rather than what you can't.

Begin with the End in Mind

Define your goals and purpose in life, and use them as a guide to make decisions and prioritize your actions.

Prioritize your time and energy on the essential things in your life, and learn to say "no" to less important things.

Seek mutual benefit in all interactions and relationships, and look for solutions that benefit all parties involved.

Listen empathetically and seek to understand others' perspectives before expressing your own.

Work collaboratively with others to achieve goals and create outcomes more significant than any individual could achieve alone.

Take time to renew and improve yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for continued success.

Private Victory

The following habits focus on personal effectiveness. They are habits you can implement to improve your mindset, take responsibility for your decisions, and move towards independence.

1. Be Proactive

Proactive people take the initiative. They act instead of being acted upon. Being proactive means taking radical responsibility for your problems instead of giving energy to circumstances and things beyond your control.

• Take responsibility for your life and decisions, and focus on what you can control.
• Proactive people choose how to respond to a given situation.
• Reactive people focus on the things they cannot control and cultivate a narrative of victimhood.
• Practice proactivity by making commitments to yourself and sticking to them.

To be proactive, we must focus on the Circle of Influence within our Circle of Concern. In other words, we must work on the things we can do something about.

The positive energy we exert will cause our Circle of Influence to expand.

Reactive people, on the other hand, focus on things in their Circle of Concern but not in their Circle of Influence, which leads to blaming external factors, emanating negative energy, and causing their Circle of Influence to shrink.

Key Lessons

Challenge yourself to test the principle of proactivity by doing the following:

1. Replace reactive language with proactive language.

• Reactive = "He makes me so mad."
• Proactive = "I control my own feelings."

2. Convert reactive tasks into proactive ones.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Covey invites us to imagine our funeral. How do you want to be remembered? What would you like your friends and family to say about you? Beginning with the end in mind means clarifying our goals and values to guide our actions.

• Develop a personal mission statement — a set of values and principles towards which you will direct your actions.
• Ensure that your actions don’t contradict the guiding principles that you hold.

• Beginning with the end in mind applies to businesses.
• Being a leader is about setting the strategic vision for an organization and asking, "What are we trying to accomplish?"
• Before we as individuals or organizations can start setting and achieving goals, we must be able to identify our values. This process may involve some rescripting to be able to assert our values.

Rescripting

• Rescripting is recognizing ineffective scripts written for you and changing those scripts by proactively writing new ones built on your values.
• Identify your center. Whatever is at the center of your life will be the source of your security, guidance, wisdom, and power.

Be Principle-Centered

• Covey notes that none of the above centers are optimal. Instead, we should strive to be principle-centered.
• Identify the timeless, unchanging principles by which we must live our lives. This will give us the guidance that we need to align our behaviors with our beliefs and values.

Challenge yourself to test the principle of beginning with the end in mind by doing the following:

1. Break down different roles in your life and list five goals for each. This can include personal, professional, and community roles.

2. Define what scares you. Public speaking? Critical feedback after writing a book? Write down the worst-case scenario for your biggest fear, then visualize how you'll handle this situation. Finally, write down exactly how you'll handle it.

3. Put First Things First

Putting first things first is the practical execution of habits one and two. You must be proactive and use your guiding principles to determine the most important activities in front of you and execute them accordingly.

• Be disciplined and manage your time. Determine important tasks and execute them, and prioritize important tasks over urgent but less important ones.

Urgent vs. Important Tasks

All of your tasks exist on a matrix of urgency and importance. Unfortunately, we tend to react most to urgent matters while neglecting important activities that may not be pressing at the moment.

• Quadrant I. Important and urgent tasks like crises and deadlines can consume us and lead to burnout. While we must address these matters, you should not align your mission statement with putting out fires.
• Quadrant II. Important, non-urgent matters are at the heart of effective personal management. We know these are important but often neglect them for more urgent matters. Important, non-urgent matters require discipline to tackle and bolster your effectiveness.
• Quadrant III. We spend most of our time reacting to matters that seem urgent when in reality, their perceived urgency is based on the priorities and expectations of others. This leads to short-term focus, feeling out of control, and shallow or broken relationships.
• Quadrant IV. Non-urgent and non-important tasks are a waste of time. Still, it’s easy to pour energy into trivial, unimportant tasks. Of course, we all deserve rest and pleasant activities, but you must first prioritize activities aligned with your guiding principles.

To focus our time in Quadrant II, we must learn to say "no" to other activities, sometimes ones that seem urgent. We also need to be able to delegate effectively.

Plus, when we focus on Quadrant II, it means we're thinking ahead, working on the roots, and preventing crises from happening in the first place! This helps us implement the Pareto Principle : 80% of your results come from 20% of your time.

We should always maintain a primary focus on relationships and results and a secondary focus on time.

Here are some ways you can practice putting first things first:

1. Identify a Quadrant II activity you've been neglecting. Write it down and commit to implementing it.

2. Create your time management matrix to start prioritizing.

3. Estimate how much time you spend in each quadrant. Then log your time over three days. How accurate was your estimate? How much time did you spend in Quadrant II (the most important quadrant)?

Public Victory

The following habits focus on cultivating successful interactions with others. One can only achieve public victory after private triumph.

Habits 1-3 enable you to develop independence, while habits 4-6 aim to establish interdependent relationships where you can effectively work together to achieve common goals.

4. Think Win-Win

You should seek mutually beneficial outcomes in all your interactions.

Covey explains that there are six paradigms of human interaction:

• Win-Win. This paradigm is based on the belief that mutual benefit is the best approach to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all parties involved.
• Win-Lose. This paradigm is based on the belief that one person's gain is another person's loss. It is a competitive approach to human interaction where one party wins and the other loses.
• Lose-Win. This paradigm is based on the belief that putting the needs and desires of others before your own is the best way to achieve a satisfactory outcome.
• Lose-Lose. This paradigm is based on the belief that when two or more parties disagree, no one wins, and everyone loses.
• Win. This paradigm is based on the belief that achieving personal success without considering the needs and desires of others is the best way to approach human interaction.
• Win-Win or No Deal. This paradigm believes that if you cannot achieve a mutually satisfactory outcome, it is better to have no deal. It promotes finding a solution that benefits all parties involved or walking away.

Strive for Win-Win Situations

• In win-lose and lose-win scenarios, one person gets what they want at the expense of another. These types of outcomes result in poor relationship health.
• Win-win or no deal is a backup. Having the option to walk away prevents us from manipulating others to achieve our goals.

In solving for Win-Win, we must consider two factors: consideration and courage. First, take a look at the following chart:

Abundance Mentality

• An abundance mentality is necessary to create Win-Win situations.
• Abundance mentality is the belief that there is enough of everything to go around, including resources, opportunities, and success.
• People with an abundance mentality tend to be more open-minded, flexible, and creative.
• An abundance mentality fosters collaboration and cooperation, allowing people to work together and achieve success for all parties.

Scarcity Mentality

• Scarcity mentality is the belief that there is a limited amount of everything, and one person’s success must come at the expense of another.
• Most people operate with this mentality, and it leads to feelings of envy, unhappiness, and victimhood.
• A scarcity mentality limits a person's ability to see opportunities and makes solving for win-win scenarios nearly impossible.

Regarding interpersonal leadership, the more genuine our character is, the higher our level of proactivity; the more committed we are to win-win, the more powerful our influence will be.

The spirit of win-win can't survive in an environment of competition. As an organization, we must align our reward systems with our goals and values and have the systems in place to support win-win.

Get yourself to start thinking win-win with these challenges:

1. Consider an upcoming interaction where you'll attempt to reach an agreement or solution. Write down a list of what the other person is looking for and consider how you can meet those needs.

2. Identify three important relationships in your life and consider their balance. Do you give more than you take? Write down ten ways to give more than you take in each relationship.

3. Identify your interaction tendencies and how they affect others. Are they win-lose? Can you identify the source of that approach? Determine whether or not your approach serves you well in your relationships.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Habit 5 means that you must listen actively and empathetically before communicating your own views. Listen with the intent to understand, not to respond. In doing so, you can cultivate trust and respect with others.

Seeking to understand requires being open-minded and non-judgmental and avoiding imposing your biases and assumptions on others. The result is improved communication, deeper relationships, and more effective collaboration.

Reflective Listening

• Reflective listening is a technique that Covey recommends practicing to understand others’ perspectives.
• Reflective listening involves paraphrasing the other person's message and checking for accuracy to ensure you understand their perspective correctly.

Autobiographical Listening

Autobiographical Listening means listening with our perspective in mind. When we do this, we tend to respond in one of four ways.

• Evaluate. Agree or disagree with what is said.
• Probe. Ask questions from our frame of reference.
• Advise. Give counsel based on our own experience.
• Interpret. Try to determine the person's motives and behavior based on our motives and behavior.

If we instead focus on empathetic listening , we see dramatic results in improved communication.

The second part of Habit 5 is " ... then to be understood." This is equally critical in achieving win-win solutions.

When we can present our ideas clearly, and in the context of a deep understanding of the other person's needs and concerns, we significantly increase our credibility and effectiveness.

Here are a few ways to get yourself in the habit of seeking first to understand:

1. Next time you watch two people communicate, cover your ears and watch. What emotions are they sharing that might not come across through words alone? For example, was one person or the other more interested in the conversation? Write down what you noticed.

2. Root your presentations in empathy. Begin by understanding the audience's point of view. What problems are they facing? How is what you're about to say offering a solution to their problems?

6. Synergize

The synergize h abit emphasizes the power of collaboration and encourages us to look for opportunities to work together to create outcomes greater than the sum of their parts.

Key to synergy and collaboration is valuing people’s differences and seeking ways to combine strengths to reach more significant outcomes than one could achieve alone.

Covey outlines several principles for achieving synergy:

Value Differences

• Recognize and appreciate the unique abilities, experiences, and perspectives of others.
• Seek to combine people’s different strengths to achieve collaborative success.

Create a Third Alternative

• Look for solutions that go beyond simply compromising between two opposing viewpoints.
• Find ways to create new solutions that address everyone’s needs.

Listen to Understand

• We must empathetically listen to understand and value others’ differences.
• Listen to understand, not to respond.

Be Open to Feedback

• Welcome feedback from others without involving your ego.
• Use feedback to improve your ideas and actions.

Build Relationships with Trust and Respect

• Trust and respect are essential for achieving synergistic outcomes.
• Strive for honesty and openness as the foundation of your relationships.
• Create an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, exchanging feedback, and collaborating.

1. Make a list of people who irritate you. How are their views different? Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine how it feels to be them.

Next time you disagree with one of those people, try to understand their concerns and why they disagree. The better you can understand them, the easier it will be to change their mind — or yours.

2. Make a list of people with whom you get along well. How are their views different? Next, write down a situation where you had excellent teamwork and synergy. Why? What conditions were met to reach synergy? How can you recreate those conditions again?

7. Sharpen the Saw

Sharpening the saw means continually honing our personal development through deliberate actions that renew and recharge our energy. The result is a happy, holistically healthy, and effective individual.

It’s easy to get caught up in our work and responsibilities and neglect to prioritize ourselves. Covey posits that we must take the time to “sharpen our saw” to remain effective.

Essentially, we must prioritize self-care. After all, if we aren’t healthy and happy, we won’t be able to help others.

Covey discusses four categories of renewal and outlines how we can look after our health in those areas.

Physical Renewal

We must ensure our bodies have the health and vitality to tackle life’s demands. It is challenging to be effective if you feel sick or physically unhealthy. Activities that engender the renewal of physical energy include:

• Exercising: walking, running, playing sports, lifting weights.
• Eating healthy: eating fresh fruits and vegetables and being mindful of processed foods and sugar.
• Staying hydrated.
• Spending time in nature.
• Getting enough sleep.

Mental Renewal

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Just like exercising, we must make concerted efforts to prioritize renewing our mental energy. Consider some activities that stimulate and calm the mind:

• Meditation.
• Reading books.
• Learning new things: attend classes, workshops, or seminars.
• Pursuing hobbies and interests.
• Playing an instrument.
• Watching a documentary.

Mental renewal is crucial for maintaining a positive outlook and staying sharp in our ever-changing world.

Spiritual Renewal

Spiritual renewal involves reflecting, solidifying our values and beliefs, and cultivating a sense of purpose in life. Spiritual renewal can include engaging in things like:

• Volunteering.
• Journaling.
• Self-reflection.
• Silence and gratitude.

Taking the time to look after our spiritual health makes us more empathetic, balanced, and effective.

Social/Emotional Renewal

Humans are social, emotional beings. We must take care of our health in these areas by reflecting on our emotions and relationships. Social/emotional renewal can mean some of the following:

• Spending time with loved ones.
• Hanging out with friends.
• Going to a concert.
• Having a meaningful conversation.
• Practicing empathy.
• Hosting a dinner party.
• Distancing ourselves from toxic people.

Sharpening the Saw is crucial for maintaining success with the previous six habits. If we fail to look after our physical, mental, social, and spiritual health, taking care of others is much more challenging.

1. List renewal activities you enjoy and sort them according to the above categories. Make it a goal to do one renewal activity from each category per week.

2. Identify the essential areas of renewal for your personality. For example, some people are extroverted and might need to focus more on social renewal, whereas others might need to prioritize physical renewal over the rest.

Turning Habits Into Action

You don’t have to read all 432 pages of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to level up your life. After reading our summary, try out some of the exercises listed above. Once you find a habit that works for you, make sure to practice it regularly so it sticks.

Don't forget to share this post!

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A Quick Summary of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (2024)

During his 25 years of working with successful individuals in business, universities, and relationship settings, Stephen Covey discovered that high-achievers were often plagued with a sense of emptiness. In an attempt to understand why, he read several self-improvement, self-help, and popular psychology books written over the past 200 years. It was here that he noticed a stark historical contrast between two types of success. 

Before the First World War, success was attributed to ethics of character. This included characteristics such as humility, fidelity, integrity, courage, and justice. However, after the war, there was a shift to what Covey refers to as the “Personality Ethic.” Here, success was attributed as a function of personality, public image, behaviors, and skills. Yet, these were just shallow, quick successes, overlooking the deeper principles of life.

Covey argues it’s your character that needs to be cultivated to achieve sustainable success, not your personality. What we are says far more than what we say or do. The “Character Ethic” is based upon a series of principles. Covey claims that these principles are self-evident and endure in most religious, social, and ethical systems. They have universal application. When you value the correct principles, you see reality as it truly is. This is the foundation of his bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People .

What Are the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?

Covey’s seven habits are composed of the primary principles of character upon which happiness and success are based. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People puts forward a principle-centered approach to both personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Rather than focusing on altering the outward manifestations of your behavior and attitudes, it aims to adapt your inner core, character, and motives.

The seven habits in this book will help you move from a state of dependence, to independence, and finally to interdependence. While society and most of the self-help books on the market champion independence as the highest achievement, Covey argues that it’s interdependence that yields the greatest results. 

Interdependence is a more mature, advanced concept. It precludes the knowledge that you are an independent being, but that working with others will produce greater results than working on your own. To attain this level of interdependence, you must cultivate each of the seven habits laid out in the book. The seven habits are as follows:

• Be proactive
• Begin with the end in mind
• Put first things first
• Think win/win
• Seek to understand first, before making yourself understood
• Learn to synergize
• Sharpen the saw

This 7 Habits of Highly Effective People book summary will look at each of these habits and show you how to put them into action to become more successful in whatever you want to achieve.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

The first and most fundamental habit of an effective person is to be proactive. More than just taking the initiative, being proactive means taking responsibility for your life. Consequently, you don’t blame your behavior on external factors such as circumstances, but own it as part of a conscious choice based on your values. Where reactive people are driven by feelings, proactive people are driven by values.

While external factors have the ability to cause pain, your inner character doesn’t need to be damaged. What matters most is how you respond to these experiences. Proactive individuals focus their efforts on the things they can change, whereas reactive people focus their efforts on the areas of their lives in which they have no control. They amass negative energy by blaming external factors for their feelings of victimization. This, in turn, empowers other forces to perpetually control them.

The clearest manifestation of proactivity can be seen in your ability to stick to the commitments you make to yourself and to others. This includes a commitment to self-improvement and, by extension, personal growth. By setting small goals and sticking to them, you gradually increase your integrity, which increases your ability to take responsibility for your life. Covey suggests undertaking a 30-day proactivity test in which you make a series of small commitments and stick to them. Observe how this changes your sense of self.

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind

To better understand this habit, Covey invites you to imagine your funeral. He asks you to think how you would like your loved ones to remember you, what you would like them to acknowledge as your achievements, and to consider what a difference you made in their lives. Engaging in this thought experiment helps you identify some of your key values that should underpin your behavior. 

Accordingly, each day of your life should contribute to the vision you have for your life as a whole. Knowing what is important to you means you can live your life in service of what matters most. Habit two involves identifying old scripts that are taking you away from what matters most, and writing new ones that are congruent with your deepest values. This means that, when challenges arise, you can meet them proactively and with integrity, as your values are clear.

Covey states that the most effective way to begin with the end in mind is to create a personal mission statement. It should focus on the following:

• What you want to be (character)
• What you want to do (contributions and achievements)
• The values upon which both of these things are based

In time, your mission statement will become your personal constitution. It becomes the basis from which you make every decision in your life. By making principles the center of your life, you create a solid foundation from which to flourish. This is similar to the philosophy Ray Dalio presents in his book, Principles . As principles aren’t contingent on external factors, they don’t waver. They give you something to hold on to when times get tough. With a principle-led life, you can adopt a clearer, more objective worldview.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

To begin this chapter, Covey asks you to answer the following questions:

• What one thing could you do regularly, that you aren’t currently doing, that would improve your personal life?
• Similarly, what one thing could you do to improve your business or professional life?

Whereas habit one encourages you to realize you are in charge of your own life, and habit two is based on the ability to visualize and to identify your key values, habit three is the implementation of these two habits. It focuses on the practice of effective self-management through independent will. By asking yourself the above questions, you become aware that you have the power to significantly change your life in the present.

Thus, having an independent will means you are capable of making decisions and acting on them. How frequently you use your independent will is dependent on your integrity. Your integrity is synonymous with how much you value yourself and how well you keep your commitments. Habit three concerns itself with prioritizing these commitments and putting the most important things first. This means cultivating the ability to say no to things that don’t match your guiding principles. To manage your time effectively in accordance with habit three, your actions must adhere to the following:

• They must be principle-centered.
• They must be conscience-directed, meaning that they give you the opportunity to organize your life in accordance with your core values.
• They define your key mission, which includes your values and long-term goals.
• They give balance to your life.
• They are organized weekly, with daily adaptations as needed.

The thread that ties all five of these points together is that the focus is on improving relationships and results, not on maximizing your time. This shares sentiments with Tim Ferris who, in The 4-Hour Work Week , argues that time management is a deeply flawed concept .

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

Covey argues that win/win isn’t a technique, it’s a philosophy of human interaction. It’s a frame of mind that seeks out a mutual benefit for all concerned. This means that all agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, and all parties feel satisfied with the outcome. To embody this mindset, life must be seen as a cooperative, not a competition. Consequently, anything less than a win/win outcome goes against the pursuit of interdependence, which is the most efficient state to be operating within.

Therefore, to adopt a win/win mindset, you must cultivate the habit of interpersonal leadership. This involves exercising each of the following traits when interacting with others:

• Self-awareness
• Imagination
• Independent will

To be an effective win/win leader, Covey argues that you must embrace five independent dimensions:

• Character: This is the foundation upon which a win/win mentality is created, and it means acting with integrity, maturity, and an “abundance mentality” (i.e., there is plenty of everything for everyone, one person’s success doesn’t threaten your success).
• Relationships: Trust is essential to achieving win/win agreements. You must nourish your relationships to maintain a high level of trust.
• Agreements: This means that the parties involved must agree on the desired results, guidelines, resources, accountability, and the consequences.
• Win/win performance agreements and supportive systems: Creating a standardized, agreed-upon set of desired results to measure performance within a system that can support a win/win mindset.
• Processes: All processes must allow for win/win solutions to arise.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

If you want to improve your interpersonal relations, Covey argues that you must endeavor to understand a situation before attempting to make yourself understood. The ability to communicate clearly is essential for your overall effectiveness, as it’s the most important skill you can train. While you spend years learning to read, write, and speak, Covey states that little focus is given to training the skill of listening.

If your principles are solid, you’ll naturally want to engage and listen to people without making them feel manipulated. Consequently, it’s through your character that you transmit and communicate what type of a person you are. Through it, people will come to instinctively trust and open up to you. While most people listen with the intent of replying, the proficient listener will listen with the intent to understand. This is known as the skill of empathic listening.

An empathic listener can get into the frame of reference of the person speaking. By doing so, they see the world as they do and feel things the way they feel. Empathic listening, therefore, allows you to get a clearer picture of reality. When you begin to listen to people with the intent of understanding them, you’ll be astounded at how quickly they will open up.

Once you think you’ve understood the situation, the next step is to make yourself understood. This requires courage. By using what you’ve learned from empathic listening, you can communicate your ideas in accordance with your listener’s paradigms and concerns. This increases the credibility of your ideas, as you will be speaking in the same language as your audience.

Habit 6: Synergize

When synergy is operating at its fullest, it incorporates the desire to reach win/win agreements with empathic communication. It’s the essence of principle-centered leadership. It unifies and unleashes great power from people, as it’s based on the tenant that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The real challenge is to apply principles of synergetic creative cooperation into your social interactions. Covey argues that such instances of synergetic interpersonal group collaboration are often neglected but should be part of your daily life.

At its core, synergy is a creative process that requires vulnerability, openness, and communication. It means balancing the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between a group of people and, in doing so, creating new paradigms of thought between the group members. This is where creativity is maximized. Synergy is effectiveness as an interdependent reality. This involves teamwork, team building, and the creation of unity with other human beings.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

This seventh habit is all about enhancing yourself through the four dimensions of renewal:

• Physical: Exercise, nutrition, and stress management. This means caring for your physical body, eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.
• Social/emotional: Service, empathy, synergy, and intrinsic security. This provides you with a feeling of security and meaning.
• Spiritual: Value clarification and commitment, study, and meditation. In focusing on this area of your life, you get closer to your center and your inner value system.
• Mental: Reading, visualizing, planning, and writing. To continually educate yourself means expanding your mind. This is essential for effectiveness.

To “sharpen the saw” means to express and exercise all four of these motivations regularly and consistently. This is the most important investment you can make in your life, as you are the instrument of your performance. It’s essential to tend to each area with balance, as to overindulge in one area means to neglect another. 

However, a positive effect of sharpening your saw in one dimension is that it has a knock-on positive effect in another, due to them being interrelated. For instance, by focusing on your physical health, you inadvertently improve your mental health, too. This, in turn, creates an upward spiral of growth and change that helps you to become increasingly self-aware. Moving up the spiral means you must learn, commit, and do increasingly more as you move upwards and progressively become a more efficient individual.

You can buy The 7 Habits of Effective People by Stephen R. Covey on Amazon .

Foreword to the 25th Anniversary Edition of Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

I first met Stephen Covey in 2001, when he asked for a meeting to talk about ideas. After a warm greeting—his enveloping handshake feeling like the comfortable leather of a softball glove that you’ve worn a thousand times—we settled into a conversation that lasted two hours. Stephen began by asking questions, lots of questions.  Here sat a master teacher, one of the most influential thinkers of the day, and he wanted to learn from someone 25 years his junior.

As the conversation opened an opportunity for me to exercise my own curiosity, I began, “How did you come up with the ideas in the 7 Habits?”

“I didn’t,” he responded.

“What do you mean?,” I asked. “You wrote the book.”

“Yes, I wrote the book, but the principles were known long before me.” He continued, “They are more like natural laws. All I did was put them together, to synthesize them for people.”

That’s when I began to understand why this work has had such an impact. Covey had spent more than three decades studying, practicing, teaching, and refining what he ultimately distilled into these pages. He did not seek credit for the principles; he sought to teach the principles, to make them accessible. He saw creating the 7 Habits not primarily as a means to his own success, but as an act of service.

When Bob Whitman, chief executive of FranklinCovey, called to ask if I would consider writing a foreword for the 25th anniversary edition of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , I responded first by re-reading the entire book; I’d read it shortly after its initial publication in 1989, and it was a gift to re-engage with its message. I also wanted to recalibrate: what makes it an enduring classic? I see four factors that contributed to its rarified stature:

• Covey created a "user interface" organized into a coherent conceptual framework, made highly accessible by Covey’s strong writing; 
• Covey focused on timeless principles, not on mere techniques or momentary fads; 
• Covey wrote primarily about building character, not about “achieving success” -- and thereby helped people become not just more effective individuals, but better leaders;
• Covey himself was a Level 5 teacher, humble about his own shortcomings, yet determined to share widely what he’d learned.

Stephen Covey was a master synthesizer. I think of what he did for personal effectiveness as analogous to what the graphical user interface did for personal computers. Prior to Apple and Microsoft, few people could harness computers to their daily lives; there was no easily accessible user interface—no mouse pointers, friendly icons, or overlapping windows on a screen, much less a touch screen. But with the Macintosh and then Windows, the mass of people could finally tap the power of the microchip behind the screen. Similarly, there had been hundreds of years of accumulated wisdom about personal effectiveness, from Benjamin Franklin to Peter Drucker, but it was never assembled into one coherent, user-friendly framework. Covey created a standard operating system—the “Windows”—for personal effectiveness, and he made it easy to use. He proved to be a very fine writer, a master of short stories and conceptual wordplay. I will never forget the story in Chapter 1 about the man on the subway who could not control his screaming kids (and the point it makes), nor will I ever forget the lighthouse or the wrong jungle or the analogy of the golden eggs. Some of his conceptual wrapping paper worked exceptionally well, being both descriptive of a concept, and at the same time prescriptive in its application. “Win/Win or No Deal.” “Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.” “Begin with the End in Mind.” “Do First Things First.” He made the ideas even more accessible by using personal life-struggles and stories—raising children, building a marriage, dealing with friends—to teach the habits and build muscle fiber for living them.

The ideas embedded in the framework are timeless. They are principles . This is why they work, and why they speak to people in all age groups around the globe. In a world of change, disruption, chaos, and relentless uncertainty, people crave an anchor point, a set of constructs to give them guidance in the face of turbulence. Covey believed that timeless principles do indeed exist, and that the search for them is not folly, but wisdom. He rejected the view of those who shout from the rooftops, "There is nothing sacred, nothing enduring, nothing durable to build upon in this ever-changing landscape!  Everything is new! Nothing from the past applies!"

My own research quest has focused on the question, “What makes a great company tick—why do some companies make the leap from good to great (and while others don’t), why do some become built to last (while others fall), and why do some thrive in chaos?”  One of our key findings is the idea of "Preserve the Core / Stimulate Progress”; no enterprise can become or remain truly great without a core set of principles to preserve, to build upon, to serve as an anchor, to provide guidance in the face of an ever-changing world. At the same time, no company can remain great without stimulating progress –change, renewal, improvement, and the pursuit of BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). When you blend these two together – Preserve the Core AND Stimulate Progress – you get a magical dialectic that keeps a company or organization vibrant over time. Covey found a similar pattern in personal effectiveness: first build upon a strong core of principles that are not open for continuous change; at the same time, be relentless in the quest for improvement and continuous self-renewal. This dialectic enables an individual to retain a rock-solid foundation and attain sustained growth for a lifetime.

But I think the most important aspect of The 7 Habits —what makes it not just practical, but profound—is its emphasis on building character rather than "attaining success.” There is no effectiveness without discipline, and there is no discipline without character. While writing this forward, I'm in the midst of finishing a two-year journey as the class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point. I’ve come to a personal belief that a key ingredient in the West Point recipe is the idea that great leadership begins first with character—that leadership is primarily a function of who you are , for this is the foundation for everything you do. How do you build leaders? You first build character. And that is why I see the 7 Habits not just about personal effectiveness, but about leadership development.

As I reflect upon some of the exceptional leaders I’ve studied in my research, I’m struck by how Covey’s principles manifest in many of their stories. Let me focus on one of my favorite cases, Bill Gates. It's become fashionable in recent years to attribute the outsized success of someone like Bill Gates to luck, to being in the right place at the right time. But if you think about it, this argument falls apart. When Popular Electronics put the Altair computer on its cover, announcing the advent of the first-ever personal computer, Bill Gates teamed up with Paul Allen to launch a software company and write the BASIC programming language for the Altair. Yes, Gates was at just the right moment with programming skills, but so were other people—students in computer science and electrical engineering at schools like Cal-Tech, MIT, and Stanford, seasoned engineers at technology companies like IBM, Xerox, and HP; and scientists in government research laboratories. Thousands of people could've done what Bill Gates did at that moment, but they didn't . Gates acted upon the moment. He dropped out of Harvard, moved to Albuquerque (where the Altair was based), and wrote computer code day and night. It was not luck of being at the right moment in history that separated Bill Gates, but his proactive response to being in the right moment ( Habit 1: Be Proactive ).

As Microsoft grew into a successful company, Gates expanded his objectives, guided by a very big idea: a computer on every desk. Later, Gates and his wife created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with huge goals, such as eradicating malaria from the face of the Earth. As he put it in his 2007 Harvard commencement speech, “For Melinda and for me, the challenge is the same: how can we do the most good for the greatest number with the resources we have” ( Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind ).

True discipline means channeling our best hours into first-order objectives, and that means being a nonconformist in the best sense. "Everyone" might say finishing Harvard should be the most important task for a young Bill Gates. Instead, he aligned his efforts with his mission, despite any disapproving glances from well-meaning people. As he built Microsoft, he poured his energies into two overriding objectives: getting the best people and executing on a few big software bets; everything else was secondary. When Gates first met Warren Buffett at a dinner, the host asked everyone at the table what they saw as the single most important factor in their journey through life. As Alice Schroeder related in her book The Snowball , both Gates and Buffett gave the same one-word answer: "Focus."  ( Habit 3: Put First Things First ).

Gates’s relationship to the fourth habit ( Habit 4: Think Win / Win ) is a bit more complicated. At first glance, Gates would appear to be a win/lose character, a fierce combatant who so feared how easily a company’s flanks could be turned that he wrote a “nightmare” memo laying out scenarios of how Microsoft could lose. In the race for industry standards, there would be only a small set of big winners, and a lot of losers, and Gates had no intention of Microsoft being anything less than one of the big winners. But a closer look reveals that he was masterful at assembling complementary forces into a coalition. To achieve his big dream, Gates understood that Microsoft would need to complement its strengths with the strengths of others, such as Intel with its microprocessors, and personal computer manufacturers such as IBM and Dell. He also shared equity, so that when Microsoft won, Microsoft people would win as well. And he displayed a remarkable ability to complement his personal strengths with the strengths of others, especially his longtime business alter ego, Steve Ballmer; Gates and Ballmer accomplished much more by working together than they ever could alone; 1+1 is much larger than 2. ( Habit 6: Synergize ).

As Gates moved to social impact with the Foundation, he did not step forth saying, “I’ve been successful in business, so I already know how to achieve social impact.” Quite the opposite; he brought a relentless curiosity, a quest to gain understanding. He pushed with questions, trying to get a handle on the science and methods needed to solve some of the most intractable problems, ending one exchange with a friend with a comment along the lines of “I need to learn more about Phosphates.” ( Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood .)  And, finally, I'm struck by how Gates renewed. Even during the most intense years building Microsoft, he periodically set aside an entire week to unplug for reading and reflection, a Think Week. He also developed a penchant for reading biographies; at one point he told Brent Schlender of Fortune , “It’s amazing how some people develop during their lives”—a lesson Gates looks to haven taken as a mantra for his own life ( Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw .)

Gates is a fabulous case, but I could have used others. I could have highlighted Wendy Kopp, who founded Teach for America with the idea to inspire hundreds of thousands of college graduates to serve at least two years teaching children in our most underserved schools, with the ultimate aim to create an indomitable social force to radically improve K-12 education ( Be Proactive ; Begin with the End in Mind ). Or I could have used Steve Jobs living in a house without furniture, too busy creating insanely great products to get around to seemingly unimportant activities like buying a kitchen table or a sofa ( Put First Things First ). Or Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, who created a win/win culture between management and labor, with everyone uniting together after 9/11 to keep its thirty years of consecutive profitability intact while also keeping intact every single job ( Think Win / Win ). Or even Winston Churchill, who took naps throughout the Second World War, thereby giving himself "two mornings" every day ( Sharpen the Saw ).

I do not mean to imply that the 7 Habits map one-for-one to building a great company. The principles in Good to Great and Built to Last , for example, and the principles in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are complementary, but distinct. Covey did not set out to write a book on building great organizations, but on achieving great personal effectiveness. Still, organizations are composed of people, and the more effective those people, the stronger the organization. And I do suspect that those who live the 7 Habits perhaps have a higher likelihood of becoming Level 5 leaders, those rare transformational figures I wrote so much about in Good to Great . Level 5 leaders display a paradoxical combination of personal humility and professional will, channeling their energy, drive, creativity, and discipline into something larger and more enduring than themselves. They’re ambitious, to be sure, but for a purpose beyond themselves, be it building a great company, changing the world, or achieving some great object that’s ultimately not about them. One of the most important variables in whether an enterprise remains great lies in a simple question: what is the truth about the inner motivations, character, and ambition of those who hold power?  Their true, internal motivations will absolutely show up in their decisions and actions—if not immediately, then over time, and certainly under duress—no matter what they say or how they pose. And thus, we return full circle to a central tenet of Covey's framework: build inner character first—private victory before public victory.

And that brings me to Stephen Covey himself as a Level 5 teacher. Throughout his rather miraculous career, he displayed a disarming humility about his impact and influence, combined with an indomitable will to help people grasp the ideas. He genuinely believed the world would be a better place if people lived the 7 Habits, and that belief shines through these pages. As a Level 5 teacher, Stephen Covey did his human best to live what he taught. He said that he personally most struggled with Habit 5 (“Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood”). There is a great irony in this, as he first went on a multi-decade intellectual journey to gain understanding, before he wrote the book. He was first and foremost a learner who became a teacher, then a teacher who learned to write, and in so doing made his teachings enduring. In Habit 2, Stephen challenges us to envision our own funeral, and consider, “What would you like each of the speakers to say about you and your life? … What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember?”  I suspect he would be very pleased with how it turned out for him.

No person lasts forever, but books and ideas can endure. When you engage with these pages, you will be engaging with Stephen Covey at the peak of his powers. You can feel him reaching out from the text to say "Here, I really believe this, let me help you—I want you to get this, to learn from it, I want you to grow, to be better, to contribute more, to make a life that matters." His life is done, but his work is not. It continues, right here in this book, as alive today as when first written. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is 25 twenty-five years young, off to a very strong start indeed.

Jim Collins Boulder, Colorado July, 2013

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

The book in a few sentences.

The Seven Habits represent a holistic, integrated approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness, and that, more than in the individual habits themselves, the real key lies in the relationship among them and in how they are sequenced.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People summary

This is my book summary of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. My summary and notes include the key lessons and most important insights from the book.

Part One: Paradigms and Principles

In more than 25 years of working with people in business, university, and marriage and family settings, I have come in contact with many individuals who have achieved an incredible degree of outward success, but have found themselves struggling with an inner hunger, a deep need for personal congruency and effectiveness and for healthy, growing relationships with other people.

The Personality and Character Ethic

• The Character Ethic taught that there are basic principles of effective living, and that people can only experience true success and enduring happiness as they learn and integrate these principles into their basic character.
• But shortly after World War I the basic view of success shifted from the Character Ethic to what we might call the Personality Ethic. Success became more a function of personality, a public image, of attitudes and behaviors, skills and techniques, that lubricate the process of human interaction.
• This Personality Ethic essentially took two paths: one was human and public relations techniques, and the other was positive mental attitude (PMA).

Primary and Secondary Greatness

• If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me and each other—while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity and insincerity—then, in the long run, I cannot be successful.
• …if you don't pay the price day in and day out, you never achieve true mastery of the subjects you study or develop an educated mind.
• You always reap what you so; there is no shortcut.
• If there isn't deep integrity and fundamental character strength, the challenges of life will cause true motives to surface and human relationship failure will replace short-term success.
• In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.

The Power of a Paradigm

• But before we can really understand these Seven Habits, we need to understand our own “paradigms” and how to make a “paradigm shift.”
• The word paradigm comes from the Greek. It was originally a scientific term, and is more commonly used today to mean hey model, theory, perception, assumption, or frame of reference.
• In the more general sense, it's the way we “see” the world—not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving, understanding, interpreting.
• You might work on your behavior—you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster.
• You might work on your attitude—you can think more positively. You still wouldn't get to the right place, but perhaps you wouldn't care. Your attitude would be so positive, you’d be happy wherever you were.
• The point is, you'd still be lost. The fundamental problem has nothing to do with your behavior or your attitude. It has everything to do with having a wrong map.
• Each of us has many, many maps in our head, which can be divided into two main categories: maps of the way things are, or realities, and maps of the way things should be, or values.
• The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act.
• We simply cannot maintain wholeness if we talk and walk differently than we see.
• We see the world, not as it is, but as we are—or, as we are conditioned to see it. When we open our mouths to describe what we see, we have in effect described ourselves, our perceptions, our paradigms.

The Power of A Paradigm Shift

• We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms from which our attitudes and behaviors flow.

The Principle-Centered Paradigm

• The Character Ethic is based on the fundamental idea there are principles that govern human effectiveness—natural laws in the human dimension that are just as real, just as unchanging and unarguably “there” as laws such as gravity are in the physical dimension.
• These principles are a part of most every major during religion, as well as enduring social philosophies and ethical systems. They are self-evident and can easily be validated by any individual.
• …principles are deep, fundamental truths that have universal application. Principles are the territory. Values are maps. When we value correct principles, we value truth—a knowledge of things as they are.

Principles of Growth and Change

• The glitter of the Personality Ethic, the massive appeal, is that there is some quick and easy way to achieve quality of life—personal effectiveness in rich, deep relationships with other people—without going through the natural process of work and growth that makes it possible.
• Yet I believe that most of us know the truth of what we really are inside; and I think many of those we live with and work with do as well.

The Way We See The Problem Is The Problem

• The more people are into quick fix and focus on the acute problems and pain, the more that very approach contributes to the underlying chronic condition.

A New Level of Thinking

• “Inside-out” means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start with the most inside part of self—with your paradigms, your character, and your motives.
• And in all of my experience, I have never seen lasting solutions to problems, lasting happiness and success, that came from the outside in.
• What I have seen results from the outside-in paradigm is unhappy people who feel victimized and immobilized, who focus on the weaknesses of other people and the circumstances they feel are responsible for their own stagnant situation.

The Seven Habits - An Overview

• Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.
• Habits can be learned and unlearned.
• Breaking deeply embedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles human effectiveness involves more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives.

“Habits” Defined

• For our purposes, we will define a habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire.
• Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm, the what to do and the why . Skill is the how to do . And desire is the motivation, the want to do . In order to make something a habit in our lives, we have to have all three.
• 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.

The Maturity Continuum

• They [seven habits] move progressively on a Maturity Continuum from dependence to independence to interdependence .
• As we continue to grow and mature, we become increasingly aware that all of nature is interdependent, that there is an ecological system that governs nature, including society.
• Interdependence is the paradigm of we—we can do it; we can cooperate; we can combine our talents and abilities and create something greater together.
• Most of the self-improvement material puts independence on a pedestal, as though communication, teamwork, and corporation or lesser values.
• But much of our current emphasis on independence is reaction to dependence—to having others control us, define us, use us, and manipulate us.

Effectiveness Defined

• If you adopt hey pattern of life that focuses on golden eggs and neglects the goose, you will soon be without the asset that produces golden eggs. On Another hand, if you only take care of the goose with no aim toward the golden eggs, you soon won't have the wherewithal to feed yourself or the goose.

Three Kinds of Assets

• Basically, there are three kinds of assets: physical, financial, and human.
• Our most important financial asset is our own capacity to earn.

What You Can Expect

• First, your growth will be evolutionary, the net effect will be revolutionary.
• The net effect of opening the “gate of change” to the first three habits— the habits of Private Victory—will be significantly increased self-confidence.
• You will come to know yourself in a deeper, more meaningful way—your nature, your deepest values and your unique contribution capacity. As you live your values, your sense of identity, integrity, control, and inner-directedness will infuse you with both exhilaration and peace.
• You'll no longer build your emotional life on other people's weaknesses. In addition, you'll find it easier and more desirable to change because there is something—some core deep within—that is essentially changeless.
• Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.

Part Two: Private Victory

Habit 1: be proactive, principles of personal vision.

• We are not our feelings. We are not our moods. We are not even our thoughts.
• Self – awareness enables us to stand apart and examine even the way we “see” ourselves—our self–paradigm, the most fundamental paradigm of effectiveness. It affects not only our attitudes and behaviors, but also how we see other people. It becomes our map of the basic nature of mankind.
• In fact, until we take how we see ourselves (and how we see others) into account, we will be unable to understand how others see and feel about themselves and their world. Unaware, we will project our intentions on their behavior and call ourselves objective.

The Social Mirror

• There are actually three social maps—three theories of determinism widely accepted, independently or in combination, to explain the nature of man.
• Genetic determinism basically says your grandparents did it to you. Psychic determinism basically says your parents did it to you. Environmental determinism basically says your boss is doing it to you—or your spouse, or that bratty teenager, or your economic situation, or national policies.
• The basic idea is that we are conditioned to respond in a particular way to a particular stimulus.

Between Stimulus and Response

• But because of our unique human endowments, we can write new programs for ourselves totally apart from our instincts and training.
• Between stimulus and response is our greatest power—the freedom to choose.

“Proactivity” Defined

• It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values period
• Proactive people can carry their own weather with them. Reactive people build their emotional lives around the behavior of others, empowering the weaknesses of other people to control them.
• Proactive people are driven by values—carefully thought about, selected and internalized values.
• It's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.
• Victor Frankl suggests that there are three central values in life—the experiential, or that which happens to us; the creative, or that which we bring into existence; and the attitudinal, or our response in difficult circumstances such as terminal illness.

Listening to Our Language

• Our language, for example, is a very real indicator of the degree to which we see ourselves as proactive people.
• Proactive people make love a verb. Love is something you do: the sacrifices you make, forgiving of self, like a mother bringing a new born into the world.
• Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase.

Direct, Indirect, and No Control

• The problems we face fall in one of three areas: direct control (problems involving our own behavior); indirect control (problems involving other people's behavior); or no control (problems we can do nothing about, such as our past or situational realities).

The “Haves” and The “Be’s”

• Anytime we think the problem is “out there,” that thought is the problem. We empower what's out there to control us. The change paradigm is “outside-in”—what's out there has to change before we can change.
• … the most positive way I can influence my situation Is to work on myself, on my being.

The Other Side of The Stick

• While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. Consequences are governed by natural law.

Making and Keeping Commitments

• At the very heart of our Circle of Influence is our ability to make and keep commitments and promises.
• By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater than our moods. The power to make and keep commitments to ourselves is the essence of developing the basic habits of effectiveness.

Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind

Principle of personal leadership.

• How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.

All Things Are Created Twice

• “Begin with the end in mind" Is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There's a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.

By Design or Default

• It’s a principle that all things are created twice, but not all first creations are by conscious design. In our personal lives, if we do not develop our own self-awareness and become responsible for first creations, we empower other people and circumstances outside our Circle of Influence to shape much of our lives by default.
• We reactively live the scripts handed to us by family, associates, other people’s agendas, the pressures of circumstance - scripts from our earlier years, from our training, our conditioning.  
• These scripts come from people, not principles. And they rise out of our deep vulnerabilities, our deep dependency on others and our needs for love, for belonging, for a sense of importance and worth, for a feeling that we matter.
• We are either the second creation of our own proactive design, or we are the second creation of other people’s agendas, of circumstances, or of past habits.

Rescripting: Becoming Your Own First Creator

• Through imagination, we can visualize the uncreated worlds of potential that lie within us. Through conscience, we can come in contact with universal laws or principles with our own singular talents and avenues of contribution.
• …real success is success with self. It’s not in having things, but in having mastery, having victory over self.
• I can live out my imagination instead of my memory. I can tie myself to my limitless potential instead of my limiting past.

A Personal Mission Statement

• The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.
• The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.

At The Center

• Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom, and power.
• Security represents your sense of worth, your identity, your emotional anchorage, your self-esteem, your basic personal strength or lack of it. Guidance means your source of direction in life. Wisdom is your perspective on life. Power is the faculty or capacity to act, the strength or potency to accomplish something.
• When these four factors are present together, harmonized and enlivened by each other, they create the great force of a noble personality, a balanced character, a beautifully integrated individual.

Alternative Centers

• Spouse centerdness, family centerdness, money centerdness, work centerdness, possession centerdness, pleasure centerdness, friend/enemy centeredness, church centeredness, self-centeredness.

A Principle Center

• By centering our lives on correct principles, we create a solid foundation for development of the four life-support factors.
• Our security comes from knowing that, unlike other centers based on people or things which are subject to frequent and immediate change, correct principles do not change. We can depend on them.
• Principles are deep, fundamental truths, classic truths, generic common denominators. They are tightly interwoven threads running with the exactness, consistency, beauty, and strength through the fabric of life.
• Even in the midst of people or circumstances that seem to ignore the principles, we can be secure in the knowledge that principles are bigger than people or circumstances, and that thousands of years of history have seen them triumph, time and time again.
• Even more important, we can be secure in the knowledge that we can validate them in our own lives, by our own experience.
• The principles don't change; our understanding of them does.
• The personal power that comes from principle-centered living is the power of a self-aware, knowledgeable, proactive individual, unrestricted by the attitudes, behaviors, and actions of others or by many of the circumstances and environmental influences that limit other people.
• As a principle-centered person, you see things differently. And because you see things differently, you act differently.

Identifying Roles and Goals

• One of the major problems that arises when people work to become more effective in life is that they don't think broadly enough. They lose the sense of proportion, the balance, the natural ecology necessary to effective living.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Principles of personal management.

• Question 1: What one thing could you do (you aren’t doing now) that if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous positive difference in your personal life?
• Question 2: What one thing in your business or professional life would bring similar results?
• Habit 3, then, is the second creation, the physical creation. It's the fulfillment, the actualization, the natural emergence of Habits 1 and 2. It's the exercise of independent will toward becoming principle-centered. It's the day-in, day-out, moment-by-moment doing it.
• It is the ability to act rather than to be acted upon, to proactively carry out the program we have developed through the other three endowments.
• …”time management” is really a misnomer—the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.

What It Takes to Say “No”

• But you have to decide what your highest prairies are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, not apologetically—to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having it bigger “yes” burning inside.
• The way you spend your time is a result of the way you see your time and the way you really see your priorities.

The Quadrant II Tool

• The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. And this can best be done in the context of the week.
• Again, you simply can't think efficiency with people. You think effectiveness with people and efficiency with things.
• Remember, frustration is a function of our expectations, and our expectations are often a reflection of the social mirror rather than our own values and priorities.

Delegation: Increasing P and PC

• If we delegate to time, we think efficiency. If we delegate to other people, we think effectiveness.
• But effectively delegating to others is perhaps the single most powerful high-leverage activity there is.

Gofer Delegation

• There are basically two kinds of delegation: “gofer delegation” and “stewardship delegation.” Gofer delegation means “Go for this, go for that, do this, do that, and tell me when it's done.”
• There's a much better way, and more effective way to delegate to other people. And it’s based on the paradigm of appreciation of the self-awareness, the imagination, the conscience, and the free will of other people.

Stewardship Delegation

• Stewardship delegation is focused on results instead of methods. It gives people a choice of method and makes them responsible for results.
• Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people. But it takes time and patience, and it doesn't preclude the necessity to train and develop people so that their competency can rise to the level of that trust.
• The Steward becomes his own boss, governed by a conscience that contains the commitment to agreed upon desired results.

The Quadrant II Paradigm

• The key to effective management himself, or of others to delegation, is not in any technique or tool or extrinsic factor. It is intrinsic—in the Quadrant II paradigm that empowers you to see through the lens of importance rather than urgency.

Part Three: Public Victory

Paradigms of interdependence.

• You can't be successful with other people if you haven't paid the price of success with yourself.
• …”you can't talk your way out of problems you behave yourself into.”
• You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victory precedes Public Victory. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation of good relationships with others.
• …if you don't know yourself, if you don't control yourself, if you don't have mastery over yourself, it's very hard to like yourself, except in some short-term, psych-up superficial way.
• Independence is an achievement. Interdependence is a choice only independent people can make. Unless we're willing to achieve real independence, it's foolish to try to develop human relations skills.
• We might try. We might even have some degree of success when the sun is shining. But when the difficult times come—and they will—we won't have the foundation to keep things together.
• The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are.
• As we become independent—proactive, centered in correct principles, value driven and able to organize and execute around the priorities in our life with integrity—we then can choose to become interdependent—capable of building rich, enduring, highly productive relationships with other people.
• But it [relationships] is also where we feel the greatest pain, the greatest frustration, the greatest roadblocks to happiness and success.

The Emotional Bank Account

• An Emotional Bank Account is a metaphor that describes the amount of trust that's been built up in a relationship. It's the feeling of safeness you have with another human being.
• If I make deposits into an Emotional Bank Account with you through courtesy, kindness, honesty, and keeping my commitments to you, I build up a reserve.
• If a large reserve of trust is not sustained by continuing deposits, a marriage will deteriorate. Our most constant relationships, like marriage, require our most constant deposits.
• There are sometimes automatic withdrawals in your daily interactions or in their perception of you that you don't even know about. This is especially true with teenagers in the home.

Six Major Deposits

Understanding the Individual

• Really seeking to understand another person is probably one of the most important deposits you can make, and it is the key to every other deposit.
• …what is important to another person must be as important to you as the other person is to you.

Attending to The Little Things

• In relationships, the little things are the big things.
• People are very tender, very sensitive inside. I don't believe age or experience makes much difference. Inside, even within the most toughened and calloused exteriors, are the tender feelings and emotions of the heart.

Keeping Commitments

• Keeping a commitment or a promise is a major deposit; breaking one is a major withdrawal. In fact, there's probably not a more massive withdrawal than to make a promise that's important to someone and then not to come through.

Clarifying Expectations

• The cause of almost all relationship difficulties is rooted in conflicting or ambiguous expectations around roles and goals.
• In marriage, for example, a man and a woman have implicit expectations of each other in their marriage roles… fulfilling them makes great deposits in the relationship and violating them makes withdrawals.

Showing Personal Integrity

• Integrity is conforming reality to our words—in other words, keeping promises and fulfilling expectations.
• One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present. When you defend those who are absent, you retain the trust of those present.
• Integrity in an interdependent reality is simply this: you treat everyone by the same set of principles.

Apologizing Sincerely When You Make a Withdrawal

• When we make withdrawals from the Emotional Bank Account, we need to apologize and we need to do it sincerely.
• People with little internal security can't do it. It makes them too vulnerable. They feel it makes them appear soft and weak, and they fear that others will take advantage of their weakness. Their security is based on the opinions of other people, and they worry about what others might think.

The Laws of Love and the Laws of Life

• When we make deposits of unconditional love, when we live the primary laws of love, we encourage others to live the primary laws of life. In other words, when we truly love others without condition, without strings, we help them feel secure and safe and validated and affirmed in there essential worth, identity, and integrity. Their natural growth process is encouraged.
• This does not mean we become permissive or soft. That itself is a massive withdrawal.
• When we violate the primary laws of love—when we attach strings and conditions to that gift—we actually encourage others to violate the primary laws of love. We put them in a reactive position where they feel they have to prove "I matter as a person independent of you."
• In reality, they aren't independent. They are counter-dependent, which is another form of dependenc y and is at the lowest end of the Maturity Continuum.

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

Principles of interpersonal leadership.

• Whether you are the president of a company or the janitor, the moment you step from independence into interdependence in any capacity, you step into a leadership role. You are in a position of influencing other people. In the habit of effective interpersonal leadership is Think Win/Win.

Six Paradigms of Human Interaction

• Win/Win is not a technique; it's a total philosophy of human interaction.
• Win/Win is based on the paradigm that there is plenty for everybody, that one person’s success is not achieved at the expense or exclusion of the success of others.
• Most people have been deeply scripted in the Win/Lose mentality since birth.
• Whenever love is given on a conditional basis, when someone has to earn love, what's being communicated to them is that they are not intrinsically valuable or lovable.
• The academic world reinforces Win/Lose scripting.
• Lose/Win is worse than Win/Lose because it has no standards—no demands, no expectations, no vision. People who think Lose/Win are usually quick to please for appease. They seek strength from popularity for acceptance.
• But the problem is that the Lose/Win people bury a lot of feelings. And unexpressed feelings never die: they're buried alive and come forth later and in uglier ways.
• When two Win/Lose people get together—that is, when two determined, stubborn, ego-invested individuals interact - the result will be Lose/Lose. Both will lose.
• When there is no sense of contest or competition, Win is probably the most common approach in everyday negotiation.

Which Option Is Best?

• In the long run, if it isn't a win for both of us, we both lose. That's why Win/Win is the only real alternative in interdependent realities.

Win/Win or No Deal

• No Deal basically means that if we can't find a solution that would benefit us both, we agree to disagree agreeably—No Deal.
• When you have No Deal as an option in your mind, you feel liberated because you have no need to manipulate people, to push your own agenda, to drive for what you want. You can be open.
• Character is the foundation of Win/Win, and everything else builds on that foundation. There are three character traits essential to the Win/Win paradigm.
• ‍ Integrity . As we can clearly identify our values and proactively organize and execute around those values on a daily basis, we develop self-awareness and independent will by making and keeping meaningful promises and commitments.
• ‍ Maturity . Maturity is the balance between courage and consideration.
• While courage may focus on getting the golden egg, consideration deals with the long term welfare of other stakeholders.
• If I'm high on courage and low on consideration, how will I think? Win/Lose.
• If I'm high on consideration and low on courage, I’ll think Lose/Win.
• High courage and consideration are both essential to Win/Win. It is the balance that is the mark of real maturity. If I have it, I can listen, I can empathically understand, but I can also courageously confront.
• ‍ Abundance Mentality . The third character trait essential to Win/Win is the Abundance Mentality, the paradigm that there is plenty out there for everybody.
• The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security.
• In the Win/Win agreement, the following five elements are made very explicitly:
• Desired results, Guidelines, Resources, Accountability, Consequences
• Win/Win can only survive in an organization when the systems support it.
• You basically get what you reward. If you want to achieve the goals and reflect the values in your mission statement, then you need to align the reward system with these goals and values.
• So often the problem is in the system, not in the people. If you put good people in bad systems, you get bad results.
• … the essence of principled negotiation is to separate the person from the problem, to focus on interests and not on positions, to invent options for mutual gain, and to insist on objective criteria…

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Principles of empathic communication.

• If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Character and Communication

• Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend most of our waking hours communicating.

Empathic Listening

• Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. They're either speaking or preparing to speak. They're filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other peoples lives.
• When I say empathic listening, I mean listening with intent to understand. I mean seeking first to understand, to really understand.
• It's deeply therapeutic and healing because it gives a person “psychological air.”
• It's only the unsatisfied need that motivates. Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.

Four Autobiographical Responses

• Because we listen autobiographically, we tend to respond in one of four ways.
• We evaluate—we either agree or disagree; we probe—we ask questions from our own frame of reference; we advise—we give counsel based on our own experience; we try to figure people out, to explain their motives, their behavior, based on our motives and behavior.

Then Seek to Be Understood

• Knowing how to be understood is the other half of Habit 5, and is equally critical in reaching Win/Win solutions.
• …seeking to be understood takes courage.
• Because you really listen, you become influenceable. And being influenceable is the key to influencing others.
• The more deeply you understand other people, the more you appreciate them, the more reverent you will feel about them. To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.
• The time you invest to deeply understand the people you love brings tremendous dividends and open communication. Many of the problems that plague families and marriages simply don't have time to fester and develop.

Habit 6: Synergize

Principles of creative cooperation.

• Synergy is the essence of principle-centered leadership. It catalyzes, unifies, and unleashes the greatest powers within people.
• What is synergy? Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It means that the relationship which the parts have to each other is a part in and of itself. It is not only a part, but the most catalytic, the most empowering, the most unifying, and the most exciting part.
• Synergy is everywhere in nature. If you plant two plants close together, the roots comingle and improve the quality of the soil so that both plants will grow better than if they were separated.
• The challenge is to apply the principles of creative cooperation, which we learn from nature, in our social interactions.

Synergy in The Classroom

• The more authentic you become, the more genuine in your expression, particularly regarding personal experiences and even self-doubts , the more people can relate to your expression and the safer it makes them feel to express themselves.
• Once people have experienced real synergy, they're never quite the same again.
• Instead of a transaction, it's a transformation.

Negative Synergy

• One of the very practical results of being principle-centered is that it makes us whole—truly integrated.

Valuing The Differences

• Valuing the differences is the essence of synergy—the mental, the emotional, the psychological differences between people. And the key to valuing those differences is to realize that all people see the world, not as it is but as they are.

All Nature Is Synergistic

• Ecology is a word which basically describes the synergism in nature—everything's related to everything else. It's in the relationship that creative powers are maximized, just as the real power in these Seven Habits is in their relationship to each other, not just in the individual habits themselves.
• Synergy works; it's a correct principle. It is the crowning achievement of all the previous habits.

Part 4: Renewal

Habit 7: sharpen the saw, principles of balanced self-renewal.

• Habit 7 is taking time to sharpen the saw… this is the habit that makes all the others possible.

Four Dimensions of Renewal

• Habit 7 is personal PC (productivity capacity). It's preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have—you. It's renewing the four dimensions of your nature—physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional.
• It means exercising all four dimensions of our nature, regularly and consistently in wise and balanced ways.
• This is the single most powerful investment we can ever make in life—investment in ourselves, and the only instrument we have with which to deal with life and to contribute.

The Physical Dimension

• The physical dimension involves caring effectively for our physical body—eating the right kinds of foods, getting sufficient rest and relaxation, and exercising on a regular basis.
• A good exercise program is one that you can do in your own home and one that will build your body in three areas: endurance, flexibility, and strength.
• Probably the greatest benefit you'll experience from exercising will be the development of your Habit 1 muscles of productivity.

The Spiritual Dimension

• The spiritual dimension is your core, your center, your commitment to your value system.
• Spiritual renewal takes an investment of time.

The Mental Dimension

• Education—continuing eduction, continually honing and expanding the mind—is vital mental renewal.
• It is extremely valuable to train the mind to stand apart and examine its own program. That, to me, is the definition of a liberal education—ability to examine the programs of life against larger questions and purposes and other paradigms.
• Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.

The Social/Emotional Dimension

• The social and emotional dimensions of our lives are tied together because our emotional life is primarily, but not exclusively, developed out of and manifested in our relationships with others.
• Where does intrinsic security come from? I believe that a life of integrity is the most fundamental source of personal worth.
• Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way.
• There is also the intrinsic security that comes as a result of effective interdependent living.
• There is intrinsic security that comes from service, from helping other people in a meaningful way.

Scripting Others

• Most people are a function of the social mirror, scripted by the opinions, the perceptions, the paradigms of the people around them.

Synergy in Renewal

• Balanced renewal is optimally synergistic. The things you do to sharpen the saw in any one dimension have a positive impact in other dimensions because they're so highly interrelated.

The Upward Spiral

• Conscience is the endowment that senses our congruence or disparity with correct principles and lifts us toward them—when it’s in shape.
• Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and principles to live by; otherwise the vacuum will be filled, and we will lose our self-awareness and become like groveling animals who live primarily for survival and propagation. People who exist on that level aren't living; they are “being lived”.

Inside-Out Again

• … one day as I was wandering between stacks of books in the back of the college library, I came across a book that drew my interest. As I opened it, my eyes fell upon a single paragraph that powerfully influenced the rest of my life.
• I read the paragraph over and over again. It basically contained the simple idea that there is a gap or a space between stimulus and response, and that the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space.

Becoming a Transition Person

• Change—real change—comes from the inside out. It doesn't come from hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior with quick fix personality ethic techniques. It comes from striking at the root—the fabric of our thought, the fundamental, essential paradigms, which give definition to our character and create the lens through which we see the world.
• Achieving unity—oneness—with ourselves, with our loved ones, with our friends and working associates, is the highest and best and most delicious fruit of the Seven Habits.
• It begins with the desire to center our lives on correct principles, to break out of the paradigms created by other centers in the comfort zones of unworthy habits.
• Again, I quote Emerson: " that which we persist in doing becomes easier —not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased.”

A Personal Note

• I personally struggle with much of what I have shared in this book. But the struggle is worthwhile and fulfilling. It gives meaning to my life and it enables me to love, to serve, and to try again.

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Make Marketing Suck Less

7 habits of highly successful speakers.

By Michelle Mazur > February 24, 2013

Filed Under Presentations , Public Speaking

Are you a naturally gifted speaker? Me neither!

Ever wonder what makes some speaker super successful? Have you ever sat in an audience in awe of a speaker and pondered “How did she do that?” The answer is through a lot of work. There are some freaks (meant lovingly of course) out there who are natural gifted at speaking, but most of us have to work really hard at it.

My first speech was the stuff of horror movies.  As a nerdy, awkward and shy teenager, I was forced to take the dreaded public speaking class. My high school crush was in my class! No pressure right? My knees were knocking, hands sweaty, and I sped read my speech made no eye contact. I sat down before the last word was uttered from my mouth. I got a “C” – it was clearly a pity “C”.

I got better through speaking more and observing the habits of successful speakers.

Table of Contents

• 1 Habit #1: A clear goal for your presentation
• 2 Habit #2: Prepare early, prepare often
• 3 Habit #3: Find stories everywhere
• 4 Habit #4: Involve your audience
• 5 Habit #5: Respect the time limit ALWAYS
• 6 Habit #6: Show up early
• 7 Habit #7: Practice your bootie off

Habit #1: A clear goal for your presentation

Since the headline of this post blatantly rips-off Stephen Covey, one of the most effective habits of presentations is to “begin with the end in mind”. I've implored you to answer the question “ What's your presentation destination ?” The bottom line is that you need a clear goal for your presentation. One goal for what you want your audience to know, feel or do immediately after the presentation.

Here's a tip: Summarize your goal in one declarative sentence. If you've got a run-on sentence going on, it's time to revise.

Habit #2: Prepare early, prepare often

As soon as you know you are speaking, it is time to start preparing. If preparation means opening PowerPoint or Word, think again. Nancy Duarte recommends storyboarding your speech on Post-It notes. Brainstorm your points and sub-point. Write them on Post-Its. Put those on a wall then you can easily reorganize your speech or crumple and toss into the recycle bin points that don't fit your goal.

This process needs to start early. Speech preparation is an iterative process.

Habit #3: Find stories everywhere

Friend and fellow Toastmaster , Dennis O'Cain, recently gave a speech about his cable not working and his smart phone breaking down. Sounds boring, right? It was anything but boring. The story was told with passion, drama and frustration. More importantly, there was an extraordinary lesson from this ordinary experience about our lifelines to the world aren't technology but the people who love us.

Stories are everywhere. Successful speakers are always on the look out to find them.

Habit #4: Involve your audience

Audiences want interaction during the presentations. They want to feel involved. Ask them questions that make them think. Use the most important word in any presentation. Use your stories to relate to their world. No matter what your presentation topic think strategically about how to involve your audience more in your speech.

For the love of all good things, avoid the me, me, me introduction . No one cares about you – they care about how your information will serve them.

Habit #5: Respect the time limit ALWAYS

Stop going over time. It's disrespectful of your audiences time and attention. In your preparing process, aim to end early. That way if there are questions during the presentation, you have time to answer and still end on time.

Habit #6: Show up early

Successful speakers show up to the venue early. You can test the technology and make sure everything is working. If it is not, you can get it fix or go to your plan B (you should always have a plan B when it comes to tech).

The other benefits of showing up early is that you can check the emotional vibe of the room . Are people tired? Are they chatty and happy? What's the energy like? Showing up early also let's your work the room. You'll meet the audience members, make personal connection that allow you to engage with your audience on a deeper level when you are on the stage.

Habit #7: Practice your bootie off

Successful speakers know that speaking is hard work. There's no shortcut to success. Get out there and speak. Share your message. Speak as often as you can.

Got a speaking question? Ask below!

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16 responses to “7 Habits of Highly Successful Speakers”

Great list Michele, especially number 4. Everything must be done with audience in mind.

Thank you Daniel! 4 is important – if we are not audience centered – we’ve already lost the audience before we even begin.

I know we can learn to be better speakers, but I think it’s a talent – to a large degree – that you’ve either got or not…especially those who can speak so well extemporaneously. That said, these tips are excellent for the “average” speaker. The born speaker does most of this without thought…

Here is my observation. Amazing speakers don’t realize they are amazing. They don’t feel naturally born with the talent even if they are. They work really, really hard. I look to some one like Craig Valentine who tells a story about how he lost the first Toastmasters competiton he ever competed in, but somone in his club believed in him and told him he could win the world championship of public speaking (which he did). You see him speak now – and think wow he has a natural talent, but he didn’t. He worked hard.

The flip side of this is speakers who say they are naturally-talented play loose with these habits. I’ve noticed the “naturally talented” speakers think they can wing it and not prepare. When you start doing that, you begin to falter at your craft.

Improving your speaking is work whether you are naturally talented or just the average joe. It’s a progression.

[…] 7 Habits of Highly Successful Speakers […]

[…] Seven Habits of Highly Effective Speakers by Dr. Michelle Mazur […]

Great info! Thanks. I’m throwing the You out repeatedly in my next presentation!

not literally of course.

“Practice your bootie off!” Am going to build this magnificent phrase into my presentation training! (Although not sure why people have to prep so hard that their shoes fall off like this) 😉 #BritishEnglish

You’re British?? How did I not know this? Glad you are going to encourage other to practice their bootie off!!!

‘Prepare early, prepare often’ is a great tip to keep in mind – so many people tend to leave their speech preparation to the last minute and I feel this is a recipe for disaster!

Yes! Winging it is NEVER a good idea. I don’t care how seasoned you are. Hearing that you want to wing your speech just spells disaster.

[…] Click Here to Read the Full Article […]

[…] keeping track of our “ums” and “ahs” to improve our everyday speech and will remember these seven habits of highly successful speakers the next time we have to give a […]

[…] your audience? Where’s the end of the line on your journey? What action do you want them to take? Begin with the end in mind, a Stephen Covey mantra, helps chart the course for you to deliver a transformative presentation. […]

[…] Have you ever wondered what makes a speaker super successful? Have you ever sat in an audience in awe of a speaker and pondered “How did she do that?” In this post, Michelle shares the 7 habits of highly successful speakers. […]

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Home » Blog » General » The Role of Habits in Speech: A Comprehensive Guide

The Role of Habits in Speech: A Comprehensive Guide

Speech is an essential aspect of our daily lives. It allows us to communicate, express our thoughts and emotions, and connect with others. However, many people may not realize the significant role that habits play in speech development and overall communication skills. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the concept of habits and their impact on speech. Whether you are a parent, educator, or someone interested in improving your own speech, this guide will provide valuable insights and strategies to help you develop and maintain good speech habits.

Understanding Habits

Before we delve into the role of habits in speech, let’s first define what habits are. Habits are automatic behaviors that we perform regularly, often without conscious thought. They are formed through repetition and reinforcement, and they play a crucial role in shaping our actions and behaviors.

In the context of speech, habits refer to the patterns and routines we develop in our vocal and articulatory systems. These habits can either support or hinder our ability to communicate effectively. Understanding how habits are formed and their impact on speech development is essential for identifying and addressing any potential issues.

The Impact of Habits on Speech

Good habits can have a positive impact on speech, leading to improved articulation, fluency, and vocal clarity. On the other hand, bad habits can impede speech development and lead to difficulties such as articulation problems, stuttering, and voice disorders.

Positive impact of good habits on speech

Developing good speech habits can have several benefits:

• Improved articulation and pronunciation: Good habits help us produce clear and accurate speech sounds, making our words more intelligible to others.
• Enhanced fluency and rhythm: Good habits contribute to smooth and fluent speech, allowing for natural pauses, phrasing, and intonation.
• Increased vocal clarity and volume: Good habits promote proper breath support and vocal production, resulting in a clear and resonant voice.

Negative impact of bad habits on speech

Conversely, bad habits can have detrimental effects on speech:

• Articulation difficulties: Bad habits, such as incorrect tongue placement or mouth posture, can lead to unclear speech and difficulty producing certain sounds.
• Stuttering and disfluencies: Certain habits, like rapid or irregular breathing patterns, can contribute to stuttering or other speech disfluencies.
• Voice disorders and hoarseness: Poor vocal hygiene habits, such as excessive throat clearing or misuse of the vocal folds, can result in voice disorders and hoarseness.

Identifying and Assessing Habits in Speech

Recognizing and assessing habits in speech is crucial for understanding the underlying factors contributing to speech difficulties. Here are some common habits that can affect speech:

• Mouth posture and tongue placement: The position of the tongue and the posture of the mouth can significantly impact speech clarity and articulation.
• Breathing patterns: Proper breathing is essential for speech production. Irregular or shallow breathing habits can affect fluency and vocal quality.
• Vocal hygiene habits: Vocal hygiene refers to practices that promote vocal health, such as avoiding excessive throat clearing or speaking loudly in noisy environments.

Assessing habits in speech can be done through observation and analysis. Paying attention to a person’s speech patterns, articulation, and vocal quality can provide valuable insights into their habits. Additionally, speech assessments and evaluations conducted by a speech-language pathologist can offer a more in-depth understanding of an individual’s speech habits and any areas that may require intervention.

Strategies for Developing Good Speech Habits

Developing good speech habits requires consistent practice and targeted interventions. Here are some strategies that can help:

Speech therapy techniques

Working with a speech-language pathologist can provide valuable guidance and support in developing good speech habits. Some techniques commonly used in speech therapy include:

• Articulation exercises: These exercises focus on improving speech sound production and clarity.
• Breathing and vocal exercises: Techniques that promote proper breath support and vocal production.
• Oral motor exercises: Activities that target the muscles involved in speech production, such as tongue and lip movements.

Incorporating habits into daily routines

Developing good speech habits requires consistency and integration into daily routines. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Setting goals and creating a habit plan: Clearly define the speech habits you want to develop and create a plan to incorporate them into your daily life.
• Practicing speech habits in various contexts: Practice your speech habits in different environments and situations to generalize them effectively.
• Seeking support from professionals and loved ones: Engage the help of a speech-language pathologist and enlist the support of your family and friends to stay motivated and accountable.

Breaking Bad Speech Habits

If you have identified bad speech habits, it is essential to address them to improve your communication skills. Here are some steps to take:

Understanding the underlying causes

Identify the underlying factors contributing to your bad speech habits. This may involve self-reflection, seeking professional guidance, or conducting a thorough assessment of your speech patterns.

Targeted interventions and therapy approaches

Work with a speech-language pathologist who can provide targeted interventions and therapy approaches tailored to your specific needs. They can guide you through exercises and techniques to break bad habits and develop new, more effective speech patterns.

Consistency and persistence in habit change

Breaking bad speech habits requires consistent effort and persistence. It takes time to replace old habits with new ones, so be patient and stay committed to the process.

Maintaining Good Speech Habits

Once you have developed good speech habits, it is crucial to maintain them to ensure long-term success. Here are some strategies to help you maintain good speech habits:

Importance of ongoing practice and reinforcement

Regular practice is essential for maintaining good speech habits. Make speech exercises and drills a part of your daily routine to reinforce the habits you have developed.

Strategies for maintaining good speech habits

Here are some strategies to help you maintain good speech habits:

• Self-monitoring and self-correction: Be aware of your speech patterns and correct any errors or deviations from your desired habits.
• Regular speech exercises and drills: Continue practicing speech exercises and drills to reinforce good habits and prevent the reemergence of bad habits.
• Seeking periodic check-ins with a speech-language pathologist: Schedule periodic appointments with a speech-language pathologist to ensure that your speech habits are still on track and address any concerns or challenges that may arise.

Habits play a significant role in speech development and overall communication skills. Developing good speech habits can lead to improved articulation, fluency, and vocal clarity, while bad habits can impede speech and lead to various difficulties. By understanding the impact of habits on speech, identifying and assessing them, and implementing strategies for developing and maintaining good habits, individuals can enhance their communication skills and overall quality of life. If you need further guidance or support in developing good speech habits, consider seeking professional help from a speech-language pathologist. Start your EverydaySpeech Free trial today and take the first step towards improving your speech habits.

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Speech on Good Habits

Good habits are like invisible keys that unlock a healthier, happier life. They shape your daily routine and, in turn, your future.

You might not see the effects immediately, but over time, they can bring significant changes. So, let’s explore the world of good habits together.

1-minute Speech on Good Habits

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good habits are like the building blocks of our character. They are the small practices, the routines we follow in our day-to-day life. They range from waking up early, maintaining personal hygiene, eating healthy, to saying a simple ‘Thank You’. These habits, when consistently followed, can bring about a significant positive change in our lives.

However, forming good habits is not an easy task. It requires a strong will, determination, and consistency. But, once ingrained, these habits become an integral part of us. They not only enhance our personalities but also lead us towards a successful life.

In conclusion, we must understand that good habits are the stepping stones to success. It’s the small steps that we take daily that lead us to big achievements in life. So let’s start today, take one good habit and try to follow it consistently. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s the consistency that matters.

Also check:

2-minute Speech on Good Habits

We’ve all heard the saying, “We are what we repeatedly do,” and this holds true when it comes to our habits. Good habits are a stepping stone to success and fulfillment in life. They are not formed in a day or two, but rather require consistent efforts, patience, and commitment.

Let me now paint a clearer picture of what I mean by good habits. Eating a balanced healthy diet, waking up early, exercising regularly, reading books, being punctual, maintaining personal hygiene, being kind and respectful to others, these are all examples of good habits.

Eating a balanced diet keeps your body healthy and fit. It provides the necessary nutrients to your body, helping it to function properly. Waking up early gives you extra hours to plan your day and get a head start on your tasks. Regular exercise strengthens your body, helps maintain weight, and improves your mental health. Reading books expands your knowledge, enhances your vocabulary, and broadens your perspective on different topics.

Now, you might wonder, how can we develop good habits? It’s simple. Start small. If you want to start eating healthy, don’t just overhaul your diet in one day. Start by including one healthy meal in your day. Once you’re comfortable with that, gradually make more changes. Similarly, if you want to start waking up early, don’t set your alarm for 5 am right away. Set it 15 minutes earlier than your usual time and gradually adjust it earlier.

In conclusion, good habits are crucial for a successful and fulfilling life. They help us improve ourselves, achieve our goals, and lead a healthy and happy life. They might be challenging to form, but the benefits they bring are worth the effort. So, let’s make a conscious effort to develop good habits, and let’s start today. After all, our future is a reflection of the habits we form today.

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Habit 6: Synergize – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.

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Habit 6: Synergize is the major achievement of independent relationships: the ability to create synergy with another person. Synergy creates an outcome that’s greater than the sum of its parts, as in 1+1 = 3 or more.

In other words, two people working together can create greater results than would have been possible separately. Synergize proves the 7 habits work together by furthering communication skills.

What Is Habit 6: Synergize, and What Does it Mean?

In order to achieve habit 6: synergize, you need to understand that synergy is the culmination of all the previous 7 habits — you need a deep conviction of your principles and values, a Win/Win paradigm, and the skills to develop and nurture effective interdependent relationships. Part of the reason that 1 + 1 can equal 3 is that the relationship itself adds value and creates the ability to synergize; the joint between the two pieces of wood adds strength beyond what each piece can carry. Similarly, the teamwork, high Emotional Bank Account, and mutual understanding between two people add to their collaborative creative power. 

Communicating synergistically means opening your mind and heart to different realities and possibilities. This requires vulnerability and comfort with (or at least tolerance of) uncertainty and some level of chaos; in its essence, synergy is a creative process. You’re not entering the situation to push your proposition or blindly accept the other person’s, but rather to come up with a third alternative. 

Sometimes situations devolve into chaos instead of evolving into synergy, and those negative experiences can make the people involved skittish about opening up in the future to the possibility of synergistic communication.

One habit 6: synergize example is when a company creates policies that give employees the freedom to allocate some of their time to develop new ideas — as long as they still get their work done in a timely manner — but a handful of people abuse it and scare executives into reforming or revoking the policy. 

Additionally, many people have paradigms that cause them tdo mistrust other people and interact in protective or defensive ways. Often these people only have brief glimpses of synergy, such as when people come together in an exceptionally cooperative and collaborative way in response to an emergency. These events can seem like rare, extraordinary occurrences, but with the right approach you can experience synergy regularly. 

How to Create Synergy with the 7 Habits

Because synergy requires vulnerability and openness, it’s critical that the people involved trust each other. There’s a positive correlation between trust and communication; higher trust allows for higher levels of communication that improve interdependent relationships and make synergy possible. 

Habit 6: synergize is one of the 7 habits and can build upon momentum in a relationship or group dynamic. One person begins by being courageous enough to be authentic and open-minded, which empowers others and makes them feel safe to be open and authentic as well. This can build back and forth as everyone gains new insights, and those insights open new ideas, and the creative energy swells. 

For more habit 6 synergize examples, think of brainstorming sessions you’ve been in. The first ideas might’ve been more obvious and conventional, but all it takes is one out-of-the-box suggestion to lead to more innovative and unexpected ideas, and that winding road can take you to places you never expected. Plus, the people involved in that process tend to come out of it more excited about and committed to the plan than if it had been a run-of-the-mill idea produced from a stale collaborative session.

Synergy and Trust

Low-trust situations foster the lowest levels of communication, in which people are protective and defensive. You see this in situations like divorce settlements, where people feel the need to close all loopholes and cover all their bases for lack of trust and fear of being taken advantage of. Ironically, this kind of communication further erodes trust and spooks people into being even more protective and defensive. This form of communication leads to Win/Lose or Lose/Win frameworks.

A moderate level of trust creates respectful communication, when people are polite, honest, and genuine, but avoid opening up enough to risk confrontations. People who communicate at this level understand each other’s positions intellectually, but don’t assess their own paradigms or open their minds to new possibilities. Without the necessary components to come up with creative new ideas, this kind of communication tends to lead to compromise, a low form of Win/Win. 

High trust leads to high levels of synergistic communication that produce creative, synergistic results. The trust allows everyone involved to feel safe and comfortable openly sharing their ideas and paradigms, with the knowledge that others will try to understand their perspective and build on it. This level of communication nurtures the P/PC balance that fosters even greater trust and positive results.

A productive relationship with a high Emotional Bank Account lays the groundwork for synergy, and each time the people involved achieve synergy it further builds their relationship.

Opportunities for Growth

To fulfill habit 6: synergize you must view a person’s differences as assets — rather than roadblocks — to creating something new and innovative; someone who has the same view and opinion as you adds nothing to your knowledge and perspective, but someone with a different view gives you the opportunity to expand your perspective and come up with solutions that would never have occurred to your otherwise. 

As we discussed earlier, everyone sees the world through their own paradigms; that means no one’s view is objective, including yours. If you think you see the world objectively, then you’ll think that anyone who sees things differently is wrong. But if you understand that your — and everyone else’s — lens of the world is determined by individual paradigms, then you can value and appreciate that other people’s views can broaden your (admittedly limited) understanding of the world.  

In fact, if you truly understand that your view of the world is limited by your lens, then it’s easy to see why you need to consider and integrate other people’s perspectives so that you can approach life with more complete data. If you were trying to map the stars and were confined to the view from where you live, would you reject images of the night sky that someone sent you from another part of the world because they looked different than the photos you took? Or would you use them to expand your map? Think about other times you achieved habit 6: synergize examples by thinking from other perspectives.

Synergy Eliminates Barriers to Change

In order to make lasting change in your life, you need to make changes that foster that growth while also eliminating the factors that are limiting growth. Synergy is especially effective at minimizing the negative forces that push back against positive growth. 

The more change you try to create by focusing solely on driving forces, the harder it will become to make progress — like if you were pushing a metal spring back, and the tension kept building until finally the pent-up force of the coils bounce back against you. When you use synergy to tackle a problem, you see differences and challenges as opportunities to create new insights and possibilities, which actually transforms restraining forces into driving forces. 

Independent Synergy Starts with Internal Synergy

Some people let their left brain lead them through life, taking logical approaches to all situations; but sometimes the problems you encounter in life are emotional or creative problems that call for right-brained solutions. Other people lead with their intuitive, creative right brains, but encounter the inverse issue when dealing with analytical and logical problems. Life is a balance of both the logical and the emotional, and habit 6: synergize requires both sides of your brain to effectively adapt.

Have you ever had a relationship in which one person is emotionally driven and the other is intellectually driven? What happens when you have an interpersonal conflict? One person tries to express their concerns in feelings, while the other person is asking for concrete examples and evidence of the problem. If both sides of your brain are engaged, you can better understand and respond to the other person, and integrate both emotional and logical aspects in your solution. In this way, habit 6: synergize helps move the 7 habits because lets you have to most effective form of synergistic communication.

We know the 7 habits all work together, and habit 6: synergize lets us use our communications skills and knowledge as one. It’s crucial to keep all this knowledge in mind as you work through all 7 habits of highly effective people.

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Like what you just read read the rest of the world's best summary of "the 7 habits of highly effective people" at shortform . learn the book's critical concepts in 20 minutes or less ..

Here's what you'll find in our full The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People summary :

• How to prioritize the hundred tasks you have to focus on the one or two that really matter
• The right way to resolve every disagreement and argument
• How to avoid burning out and succeed over 20+ years
• ← Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (7 Habits)
• Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw (7 Habits) →

Carrie Cabral

Carrie has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been open to reading anything put in front of her. She wrote her first short story at the age of six, about a lost dog who meets animal friends on his journey home. Surprisingly, it was never picked up by any major publishers, but did spark her passion for books. Carrie worked in book publishing for several years before getting an MFA in Creative Writing. She especially loves literary fiction, historical fiction, and social, cultural, and historical nonfiction that gets into the weeds of daily life.

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17 Speaking Habits That Make You Sound, Like, Totally Unprofessional

Talking big is easy. speaking well is hard..

We all do it sometimes. We undermine ourselves by using less-effective language , verbal tics, and other oral miscues. That means there's always room for improvement to help your messages get through effectively .

We can all also use a little reminder now and then, so here are 17 of the worst offenses.

(Got a few I forgot? Let us know in the comments or contact me directly . )

1. “No problem” (when you really mean “you’re welcome”)

Admittedly,  I’m on a crusade against this one . When you say “no problem” in response to “thank you,” you’re actually devaluing the person who offers thanks by suggesting that whatever you did for him or her was of so little value to you that it hardly required effort.

2. “Sorry” (when you mean “excuse me”)

Everyone appreciates a sincere apology, but using “sorry” when you really mean “excuse me” (or perhaps simply “get out of my way”) undermines your professionalism--and can make you sound a little like a bully.

3. “Just … ”

There’s not enough justice in this world, but when you use the word just in the wrong context, you minimize your impact. “I just want to bring up one point,” for example, telegraphs that whatever you’re about to say is of little importance.

4. Speaking Canadian

Fun fact: I’m technically half-Canadian, so I can say this: Canadian accents often include an uptick at the end of a sentence, which suggests that any statement you make is actually a question. Do you know what I mean?

5. “Know what I mean?”

I’m aware that I just ended the last paragraph with this phrase, but it’s another bad habit. While it’s smart to ensure that people you’re speaking with are on the same page, it’s pretty annoying--and unprofessional--to be so unaware of your verbal tics that you keep repeating the same phrases.

6. Syllogisms

We live in a time of syllogisms: “It is what it is” and “It’s all good,” for example. These are harmless phrases in the abstract, and they were probably even witty once upon a time. But if you pepper your speech with them, you undermine the sense that you’re a serious person.

7. “You guys … ”

I admit, I fall prey to this one myself sometimes. Using “you guys” as an all-purpose substitute for the second-person plural is a bad habit that can undermine your message by making assumptions about how familiar your audience really wants to be.

8. Apologetic (nervous) laughter

Unapologetic laughter is great, and often contagious. Apologetic, nervous laughter is at best undermining, and at worst, unnerving.

9. Wandering eyes

Rule number 1: Try to maintain eye contact. Rule number 2: If you can’t maintain eye contact, at least try not to stare at the person’s other body parts. It drowns out anything you might try to say.

10. “I do apologize … ”

I once knew a federal judge who said that when lawyers began their argument by saying, “With all due respect,” what he heard instead was “Eff you.” This is the same kind of phrase--an apology that in many contexts (imagine, say, a cable company customer service representative using it) means you’re really not sorry about anything at all.

11. “It’s our policy … ”

This is the fraternal twin of “I do apologize”--a filler phrase that suggests your hands are tied and you can’t help someone, when they’re truly only tied by your own choices.

12. Intentional obfuscation

There’s rarely a benevolent motive behind intentionally choosing language or creating explanations so that your audience won’t actually understand what you’re saying. Sometimes it’s quite sinister, in fact. (See “ gas lighting .”)

13. “In my opinion … ”

If you’re going to assert something, in most cases you come across as more professional if you simply assert it--not undermine your own point by saying it’s only your opinion. (We know it’s your opinion; convince us of it.)

14. “Like … ”

There’s a lot to like about like , but there’s little to like about its use as an all-purpose filler.

15. “Um … ”

Only the smoothest, most-rehearsed talkers are able to overcome the fact that the intelligent human brain thinks much faster than we’re able to express those thoughts; that’s part of why we all rely on verbal crutches like “um” and “uh.” That said, overusing these is highly distracting and undermines your credibility.

16. Cursing

Well-timed strategic profanity can be effective. Lazy cursing is distracting in many cases, and can be totally undermining depending on your audience.

17. “Full disclosure”

Sure, it’s fair and positive to disclose facts that might make your audience question your biases--doing so can help defuse those issues before others raise them. The verbal tic is to refer to this act of coming clean as “full disclosure.” Very few of us are aware and selfless enough to disclose everything that could potentially undermine what we have to say. Better just to offer a “disclosure,” and let your audience decide whether it’s full or not.

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How to Win Friends & Influence People

By: Dale Carnegie

• Narrated by: Andrew MacMillan
• Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 99,091
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 79,202
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 78,614

You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for you!

• 5 out of 5 stars

This is well worth listening too! Main points are.

• By Ralph on 10-21-11

How to Talk to Anyone

• 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

By: Leil Lowndes

• Narrated by: Joyce Bean, Leil Lowndes
• Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 12,830
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,809
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 10,738

What is that magic quality that makes some people instantly loved and respected? Everyone wants to be their friend (or, if single, their lover!) In business, they rise swiftly to the top of the corporate ladder. What is their "Midas touch?"

• 2 out of 5 stars

Good info, but painful to listen to

• By Scott on 09-19-16

Atomic Habits

• An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

By: James Clear

• Narrated by: James Clear
• Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 135,420
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 110,666
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 109,613

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.

Author went overboard hawking his site

• By CHughes on 06-25-19

The 5AM Club

• Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

By: Robin Sharma

• Narrated by: Adam Verner
• Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 13,576
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,681
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 11,643

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept more than 20 years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity. Now, in this life-changing guide, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness, and feelings of aliveness.

• 1 out of 5 stars

An absolute waste of time!!

• By Sheldon Baranec on 01-22-19

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

• A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

By: Mark Manson

• Narrated by: Roger Wayne
• Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 172,655
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 148,219
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 147,381

For decades we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F*ck positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let's be honest, shit is f*cked, and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn't sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is - a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is his antidote to the coddling, let's-all-feel-good mind-set that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

A book for 20-somethings, but not me

• By Bonny on 09-22-16

12 Rules for Life

• An Antidote to Chaos
• By: Jordan B. Peterson, Norman Doidge MD
• Narrated by: Jordan B. Peterson
• Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 91,149
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 79,805
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 79,200

What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. Humorous, surprising, and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.

Not Your Average 'Self Help' Book

• By The Bookie on 06-04-18

By: Jordan B. Peterson , and others

Make Your Bed

• Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World

By: Admiral William H. McRaven

• Narrated by: Admiral William H. McRaven
• Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 19,807
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,234
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,158

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves - and the world - for the better.

• 4 out of 5 stars

Watch the YouTube video

• By A. Yoshida on 01-31-18

• 30th Anniversary Edition
• By: Sean Covey, Jim Collins - foreword, Stephen R. Covey
• Narrated by: Stephen R. Covey, Sean Covey
• Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 1,785
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 1,435
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 1,418

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated people for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators, and parents - millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the seven habits with modern additions from Sean Covey.

Even Better!

• By Tim Torres on 06-16-20

By: Sean Covey , and others

Unfu*k Yourself

• Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life

By: Gary John Bishop

• Narrated by: Gary John Bishop
• Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 85,415
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 72,299
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 71,579

Are you tired of feeling f*cked up? If you are, Gary John Bishop has the answer. In this straightforward handbook, he gives you the tools and advice you need to demolish the slag weighing you down and become the truly unf--ked version of yourself. "Wake up to the miracle you are," he directs. "Here's what you've forgotten: You're a f--king miracle of being." It isn't other people that are standing in your way; it isn't even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive. It's yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself.

Now I'm F'd for sure!

• By Kerry Strong on 08-24-17

Never Split the Difference

• Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It

By: Chris Voss

• Narrated by: Michael Kramer
• Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 63,614
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 54,176
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 53,796

After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI's lead international kidnapping negotiator. Never Split the Difference takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss' head.

Needs PDF companion file

• By John L. Pinkowski on 03-07-17

The Power of Habit

• Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

By: Charles Duhigg

• Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
• Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 68,301
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 58,335
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 57,998

In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.

Nice! A guide on how to change

• By Mehra on 04-22-12

First Things First

• By: Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill
• Narrated by: Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill
• Length: 1 hr and 10 mins
• Original Recording
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,219
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 837
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 827

First Things First is a revolutionary guide to managing your time by learning how to balance your life. Traditional time management suggests that working harder, smarter, and faster will help you gain control over your life, and that increased control will bring peace and fulfillment. But the authors of First Things First apply the insights of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to our daily problems of struggling with the ever-increasing demands of work and home life.

Nothing New over the other books

• By Alton A. Ivory on 07-04-05

By: Stephen R. Covey , and others

Principle-Centered Leadership

• Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 373
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 258
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 257

How do we as individuals and organizations survive amid tremendous change? Why are efforts to improve falling so short in real results, despite the millions of dollars in time, capital, and human effort being spent? How do we unleash creativity, talent, and energy in the midst of pressure? Is it realistic to believe that balance among personal, family, and professional life is possible? Stephen R. Covey demonstrates that the answer to these and other dilemmas is Principle-Centered Leadership , a long-term, inside-out approach to developing people and organizations.

• By Lanelle on 04-05-11

The Laws of Human Nature

By: Robert Greene

• Narrated by: Paul Michael, Robert Greene
• Length: 28 hrs and 26 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 13,927
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 11,792
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 11,720

Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of listeners, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding, and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.

Tempo is key! (1.25X)

• By James Hawkins on 11-12-18

The Psychology of Money

• Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

By: Morgan Housel

• Narrated by: Chris Hill
• Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 20,681
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 17,167
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,077

Money - investing, personal finance, and business decisions - is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money , award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money.

• 3 out of 5 stars

Could be summarized in one sentence

• By Alex on 05-30-21

Start with Why

• How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

By: Simon Sinek

• Narrated by: Simon Sinek
• Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 26,996
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 22,934
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 22,787

The inspirational best seller that ignited a movement and asked us to find our why. Discover the book that is captivating millions on TikTok and that served as the basis for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time - with more than 56 million views and counting. Over a decade ago, Simon Sinek started a movement that inspired millions to demand purpose at work, to ask what was the why of their organization. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, and these ideas remain as relevant and timely as ever.

Useless Dribble

• By Chimdi Azubuike on 03-10-18

Good to Great

• Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

By: Jim Collins

• Narrated by: Jim Collins
• Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,423
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 14,328
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 14,231

Built To Last , the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?

Good info, over-the-top narration

• By Anaxamaxan on 08-31-10

The 8th Habit

• From Effectiveness to Greatness
• Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,891
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,127
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,130

The 8th Habit is the answer to the soul's yearning for greatness, the organization's imperative for significance and superior results, and humanity's search for its "voice". Profound, compelling, and stunningly timely, this groundbreaking new audiobook of next level thinking gives a clear way to finally tap the limitless value-creation promise of the Knowledge Worker Age.

A Real Disappointment

• By Mark on 03-08-07

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller - over 40 million copies sold

The number one Most Influential Business Book of the 20th century

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated listeners for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents - millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the 7 Habits with modern additions from Sean Covey. The 7 Habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!

With Sean Covey’s added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 Habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders. They include:

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Habit 6: Synergize

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

This beloved classic presents a principle-centered approach for solving both personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and practical anecdotes, Stephen R. Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

• Categories: Business & Careers

Critic reviews

"When Stephen Covey talks, executives listen." ( Dun's Business Month )

More from the same

• Los 7 Habitos de la Gente Altamente Efectiva [The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People]

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & The 8th Habit (Special 3-Hour Abridgement)

• The Speed of Trust

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The Values Factor

• The Secret to Creating an Inspired and Fulfilling Life

By: Dr. John DeMartini

• Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
• Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 375
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 329
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 325

The Values Factor shows you how to create a life in which every minute can be inspiring and fulfilling. The first step is to identify what you find most meaningful - the values in life that are most important to you. Once you understand your own unique values and align your life accordingly, you can achieve fulfillment in every aspect of your life: deepening your loving relationships, creating an inspiring career, establishing financial freedom, and tapping into a rich spiritual life.

Makes you really think about your values

• By Saad on 12-07-16

The Master Coach

• Leading with Character, Building Connections, and Engaging in Extraordinary Conversations

By: Gregg Thompson

• Narrated by: Zackary Turner
• Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 425
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars 366
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 358

The Master Coach is based on the simple but profound 3Cs Coaching Model. This proven approach asserts that to master the art of coaching one must have an exemplary character that invites the trust of others, be able to form rapid connections with others at a deeply personal level, and have the ability to initiate and guide intense, attitude-changing conversations. At every step, Thompson reminds listeners that coaching is not merely about what the coach says or does; it's about who he or she is.

Better than I expected

• By J. T. on 02-11-21

Leadership Is an Art

By: Max DePree

• Narrated by: Joseph Campanella
• Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 256
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 195
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 195

Learn the leadership skills to build a better, more profitable business with the help of Max DePree. CEO of Herman Miller, Inc. - a firm which ranks high in Fortune magazine's surveys of the most admired, best managed companies, and one of the best companies to work for in America. DePree expounds on an innovative style of business leadership.

An Audio PowerPoint

• By Supreme Commander on 07-23-06

• Unleash Your Best Work Every Day

By: Todd Henry

• Narrated by: Todd Henry
• Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 827
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars 722
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 708

Most of us live with the stubborn idea that we'll always have tomorrow to do our most important and valuable work. We fill our days with frantic activity, bouncing from task to task, scrambling to make deadlines and chase the next promotion. But by the end of each day we're often left asking ourselves "did the work I do today really matter?" We feel the ticking of the clock, but we're stuck in first gear, unsure of the path forward and without a road map to guide us.

Deeeeep sigh. And a tired one at that.

• By Oliver Nielsen on 12-25-13

Living Your Strengths

• Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community
• By: Albert L. Winseman D.Min., Donald O. Clifton Ph.D., Curt Liesveld M.Div. M.A.
• Narrated by: James Foster
• Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 40
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 35
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 34

American churches are experiencing a power shortage , declare the authors of Living Your Strengths . "People aren't harnessing the power of their innate gifts." Does this message sound familiar? Have you felt disconnected from your church lately? Are you not attending as much? Or maybe you're a passionate member who wants to become even more involved, and you would also like to inspire others.

Great Resource for Strength Finder!

• By K Dorsey on 03-02-21

By: Albert L. Winseman D.Min. , and others

Leadership Gold

• Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Leading

By: John C. Maxwell

• Narrated by: Henry O. Arnold
• Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 56
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 43
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 42

John C. Maxwell wants to help you become the smartest leader you can be by sharing Leadership Gold with you. After nearly forty years of leading, Maxwell has mined the gold so you don't have to. Each gold nugget is contained in one of 26 chapters designed to be a six-month mentorship from the international leadership expert. Each chapter contains detailed application exercises and a "Mentoring Moment" for leaders who desire to mentor others.

• By Afzal Chaudhry on 06-26-20

Relationships 101

• What Every Leader Needs to Know
• Narrated by: Sean Runnette
• Length: 1 hr and 45 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 125
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 102
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 100

Great leaders understand that their team is only as strong as its weakest link. And healthy, nurtured relationships are key in making your team operate as a well-oiled machine. In Relationships 101 , John Maxwell offers time-tested principles for connecting with people and building positive working relationships within an organization. The unique, pocket-size format puts straightforward, practical information at your fingertips.

Great information!

• By Amazon Customer on 07-03-23

Your Divine Fingerprint

• The Force that Makes You Unstoppable

By: Keith Craft

• Narrated by: Al Kessel
• Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 23
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 21
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 21

Discover the key to all your future success and achievement, and learn that what makes you different, makes you great. According to science, 99 percent of our DNA sequence is the same as other humans. Pastor Keith Craft believes that the one percent difference in each of us is a type of glory that God has given us. Within this motivational and inspirational self-help book, Your Divine Fingerprint: The Force that Makes You Unstoppable , are the tools to help you discover a unique fingerprint that you have been given.

Every life leader, ship, book in one!

• By One Life on 09-17-23

Managers as Mentors

• Building Partnerships for Learning (Third Edition)
• By: Chip R. Bell, Marshall Goldsmith
• Narrated by: Mark Peckham
• Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 87
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 78
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 77

Managers as Mentors is a rapid-fire listen and a provocative guide to helping associates grow and adapt in today’s tumultuous organizations. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated. As with previous editions there is a fictional case study of a mentor-protégé relationship running through the book, but this is augmented with six actual case studies of top CEOs who relate key mentoring experiences in their lives. This hands-on guide takes the mystery out of effective mentoring.

Great tips and tools on mentoring

• By Hello on 01-14-23

By: Chip R. Bell , and others

The Art of Connection

• 7 Relationship-Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now

By: Michael J. Gelb

• Narrated by: Tom Parks
• Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 48
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 45
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 45

These days, many of us find it easier to avoid face-to-face contact in favor of technological shortcuts. Why take the trouble to meet someone in person when we can simply send an email or a text? But as Michael Gelb argues in this compelling book, the meaningful relationships that come from real interaction are the basis of success. In The Art of Connection , Gelb offers listeners seven methods of developing better rapport in their professional and personal lives.

Packed with powerful principles.

• By Jade/Clinton Phillips on 01-27-18

The Compassionate Achiever

• How Helping Others Fuels Success

By: Christopher L. Kukk

• Narrated by: Rick Adamson
• Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 26
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 23
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 22

For decades we've been told the key to prosperity is to look out for number one. But recent science shows that to achieve durable success, we need to be more than just achievers; we need to be compassionate achievers. New research in biology, neuroscience, and economics has found that compassion - recognizing a problem or caring about another's pain and making a commitment to help - not only improves others' lives; it can transform our own.

• By Someone or not? on 04-04-20

Yes! Energy

• The Equation to Do Less, Make More

By: Loral Langemeier

• Narrated by: Loral Langemeier
• Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 52
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 41
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 42

The strongest energy always wins. That's it! That's the key to moving from your current situation, any situation, into the life you've always wanted. Yes! Energy presents the power of the "Energy Equation," which you can employ to attract abundance to all areas of your life. Best-selling author and entrepreneurial speaker Loral Langemeier developed this simple and straightforward methodology, which is revealed explicitly in these pages, because she needed it herself.

Loral gets better and better

• By Patricia on 08-14-12

You Already Know How to be Great

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• By: Alan Fine, Rebecca Merril
• Narrated by: Alan Fine
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• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 86
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 59
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 57

Most people who want to get better—at hitting golf shots, negotiating with clients, delivering presentations, or any other field of endeavor—seek out new information. They read a book, take a class, hire an expert tutor. But as Alan Fine has learned from many years of coaching athletes and businesspeople, this “outside-in” approach often doesn’t produce the results people want. More information becomes a distraction rather than a solution, and high performance remains elusive.

• By Nic on 01-28-11

By: Alan Fine , and others

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• By: Henry Cloud, John Townsend
• Narrated by: Henry Cloud, John Townsend
• Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 232
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 188
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Using eight principles, a variety of true stories and their years of experience as professional psychologists, Cloud and Townsend enlighten readers on how to make empowering choices-and how to build the life they want to live. It may seem impossible but it's true: taking personal responsibility is not only liberating, it is the best-and perhaps the only-way for a person to get what they really want out of life.

TOP BOOK of 2009

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By: Henry Cloud , and others

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• How a Man Establishes Influence, Credibility and Authority

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• Narrated by: Ryan Michler
• Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 208
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Men are not the enemy, and masculinity, contrary to what much of popular culture would have you believe, is the solution to what plagues individuals, families, and society as a whole. In The Masculinity Manifesto, author and podcaster Ryan Michler focuses on how a man can wield his power and lead others well with influence, credibility, and authority. Ryan refuses to accept the gradual and intentional decay of masculinity, instead he chooses to tackle the questions others are afraid to address.

One of the Best books of 2022!

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• Narrated by: Scott Dente
• Length: 3 hrs and 47 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 57
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars 46
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 44

The Revolution is underway, but in this new era, how can parents make a lasting impact in the spiritual lives of their children? To find the answer, George Barna researched the lives of thriving adult Christians and discovered the essential steps their parents took to shape their spiritual lives in childhood. He also learned surprising truths about which popular parenting tactics just aren't working.

Great read!

• By Kindle Customer on 06-19-24

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• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,735
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This new audio set is a very special abridgement of two of Stephen R. Covey's best-selling business books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit, read by Dr. Covey himself. We've condensed the content of two entire books into just three hours of audio, but you'll still enjoy Dr. Covey's lessons on powerful personal change and how to incorporate his ideas into your life to fulfill your ultimate potential.

Get the FULL version of 7 Habits

• By Richard Eppenbaugh on 03-01-15

• Length: 1 hr and 14 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 20
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars 15
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One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents - millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the seven habits with modern additions from Sean Covey. The seven habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!

This is not the actual book!

• By Rudy Gomez on 03-26-20

• Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 39,506
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 30,976
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Stephen R. Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , has been a top seller for the simple reason that it ignores trends and pop psychology for proven principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. Celebrating its 15th year of helping people solve personal and professional problems, this special anniversary edition includes a new foreword and afterword written by Covey that explore whether the 7 Habits are still relevant and answer some of the most common questions he has received over the past 15 years.

I don't understand these other reviews

• By Scott on 08-29-10

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• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 217
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With this audiobook, you will begin a process and journey to a new way of thinking about personal and professional focus and accomplishment. You'll learn how to identify and focus on the tasks and priorities that matter most so that you can deliver maximum results every day.

Blatant advertisement for a Workshop

• By Greg on 03-23-04

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• Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 825
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars 506
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 511

This new audio set is a very special abridgement of two of Stephen R. Covey's best-selling business books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit, read by Dr. Covey himself. We've condensed the content of two entire books into just six hours of audio, but you'll still enjoy Dr. Covey's lessons on powerful personal change and how to incorporate his ideas into your life to fulfill your ultimate potential.

• By R. Whitten on 12-07-05

Crucial Conversations (Third Edition)

• Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
• By: Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, and others
• Narrated by: Emily Gregory, Joseph Grenny
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,318
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,078
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,067

The book that revolutionized business communications has been updated for today's workplace. Crucial Conversations provides powerful skills to ensure every conversation - especially difficult ones - leads to the results you want. Written in an engaging and witty style, it teaches listeners how to be persuasive rather than abrasive, how to get back to productive dialogue when others blow up or clam up, and it offers powerful skills for mastering high-stakes conversations, regardless of the topic or person.

Great info; needs a cast, PDF and a website update

• By Kali on 04-25-22

By: Joseph Grenny , and others

The Power of Discipline

• How to Use Self Control and Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals

By: Daniel Walter

• Narrated by: Russell Newton
• Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,044
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 901
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 901

Before you can achieve anything in life, you need a solid foundation of self-discipline. Talent, intelligence, and skill are only a part of the equation. Positive thinking, affirmations, and vision boards are only a part of the equation. If you want to turn your dreams into reality, you need self-discipline. Self-discipline is what will keep you focused when all hell is breaking loose, and it looks like you are one step away from failure.

Nothing new here.

• By Amazon Customer on 01-18-21

Getting to Yes

• Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
• By: Roger Fisher, William Ury
• Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
• Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 6,099
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,038
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,981

Getting to Yes is a straightorward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken - and without getting angry. It offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict - whether it involves parents and children, neighbors, bosses and employees, customers or corporations, tenants or diplomats.

Maybe I Could Go to Four and One-Half Stars

• By John on 01-14-12

By: Roger Fisher , and others

What listeners say about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

• 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.5 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 728
• 4 Stars 204
• 5 Stars 491
• 4 Stars 113
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.6 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 492
• 4 Stars 130

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Audible.com reviews, amazon reviews.

• Overall 5 out of 5 stars
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars
• Story 5 out of 5 stars

• Anonymous User

loved it... very easy to follow great points and pointers ... refreshing to the mind

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• Performance 4 out of 5 stars

7 Habits that are a benchmark to follow

I have read the book, and previously listened to an abreviated version. If you are not already in this category, or familiar with these habits, I would highly recommend listening to this book multiple times. These habits describe fundamental principles that by consistently applying will make anyone, or team more effective. I have added them to a picture that is displayed on my computer monitor. I want to be continually reminded because "we become what we think about."

• Overall 4 out of 5 stars

• Pablo D Great

Great Audio Book - A MUST listen

This is a great audio book. Definitely not a substitution for the book, but, a great use of 3 hours of driving time. I have never understood why people would bad mouth the reader - especially not with great content like this book. I guess it is just peoples need to be negative. Covey has a style all of his own, and I really enjoy it. No one can please EVERYONE all of the time, so, listen to it for yourself and ignore those previous writers that have put this audio book down. They were obviously looking for a "spiderman" movie in an audio book. Not so. All this to say that you should get the book. You will learn A LOT! Even if it is just a refresher after you have read the harcopy (which I have as well). Enjoy.

2 people found this helpful

• Amazon Customer

Huge lifesaver for college!!

This was a book I had to purchase as a freebie so that I could complete an assignment!. It's always a bonus when the author is the one narrating the book! <3 :)

Fundamentals to focus and strategy

Dr. Stephen Covey does well in simplifying the roadmap to gaining focus and implementing strategy in one's daily activities. This read is easy to understand and provides valuable insight that can be implemented and molded to one's own philosophy.

fantastic book

the book really digs deep and put you on the right road to success in life and money

Great Refresher

This is the fifth time I read the book. It is such a good refresher on how to build leadership with integrity in your life. Never disappoints.

Very Good, it is a classic.

It is sooo fun to listen to. And sometimes it is even emotional. I recently became a father, and this book made me understand the complete change of paradign the i went through. I recommend it 100%. Sorry my english.

• Story 4 out of 5 stars

A great condensed version of the book

As someone who has not read the full version of the book, I was skeptical about trying this condensed audio version based on some of the negative reviews. However, I found it to be very enjoyable and worthwhile. Although reading the unabridged version might help fill in some gaps, this recording was done by the author himself, and I trust he did a good summary representation of the material that he in fact wrote in the first place :)

• LaTasha Summers

This book will help you really evaluate yourself, your purpose, and every relationship that you are involved with ...AWESOME read...Will reference often!

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The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People: Revised and Updated: 30th Anniversary Edition Paperback – May 19, 2020

• Language English
• Publisher Simon & Schuster UK
• Publication date May 19, 2020
• Dimensions 6.02 x 1.1 x 9.21 inches
• ISBN-10 1471195201
• ISBN-13 978-1471195204
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK; Reissue edition (May 19, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1471195201
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471195204
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 1.1 x 9.21 inches
• #244 in Leadership & Motivation
• #336 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)

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An absolute classic! The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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Learning the effective habits of successful people.

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About the author

Stephen r. covey.

Stephen R. Covey is a renowned leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and co-founder of FranklinCovey Co. He is author of several international bestsellers, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold over 20 million copies. He was named one of TIME Magazine's 25 Most Influential Americans. Dr. Covey holds the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair in Leadership at the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

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7 Habits of highly successful

Motivational speakers, elevate your speaking game: the 7 habits that set exceptional motivational speakers apart, limited time offer $297.

Who is this course for?

The '7 habits of a highly successful motivational speaker' course is specifically designed for aspiring and current motivational speakers. whether you're just beginning your journey in motivational speaking or are an experienced speaker seeking to refine your skills and deepen your impact, this course provides the essential tools and insights to help you connect with your audience more effectively and elevate your motivational speaking to new heights., what's inside the course.

What's Inside the Course?

🏆 Module 0:

Introduction

Step into the realm of the greats. Explore the pivotal role of motivational speakers and unveil the foundational habits that have propelled the most successful speakers to well-paid greatness.

🏆 Module 1:

Habit I - Understanding Your Audience

Master the art of audience connection. Learn the secrets of how top motivational speakers craft messages that resonate deeply and create lasting impacts on diverse audiences.

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Habit II - Authenticity in Speaking

Embrace the power of authenticity, a key trait of renowned speakers. Learn to share your genuine self and experiences to build trust and a profound connection with your audience.

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Habit III - Mastering the Art of Storytelling

Discover the storytelling secrets of the best in the field. Learn how to captivate your audience with narratives that engage, inspire, and leave a memorable imprint.

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Elevate your speaking prowess. Gain insights into the verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that highly successful motivational speakers use to command attention and persuade.

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Habit V - Lifelong Learning and Improvement

Adopt the mindset of continuous improvement, a hallmark of the greatest speakers. Explore strategies for self-development and staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of motivational speaking.

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Habit VI - Passion and Enthusiasm in Speaking

Ignite your speeches with the infectious passion and enthusiasm that define the world's most compelling speakers. Learn to harness these powerful emotions to electrify your audience.

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Habit VII - Engaging & Interacting with Audience

Uncover the engagement techniques that set apart successful speakers. From captivating live audiences to mastering virtual interactions, learn to make every speech an interactive and memorable event.

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We understand that embarking on a new learning journey can sometimes feel like a leap of faith. That's why we want to assure you that enrolling in ' 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Motivational Speaker ' is a risk-free decision.

If you find that the course does not align with your expectations or needs, we offer a hassle-free money-back guarantee.

Simply reach out to us at [email protected] for a full refund.

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Your learning journey and satisfaction are our top priorities.

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© Copyright 2023. The Daley Speakers Academy. All rights reserved.

Habits: How to Form Better Habits and Break Bad Ones

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In our effort to become more productive we often download new apps, optimize our schedules, eliminate distractions and try a host of other productive things . However, have you ever considered the role your basic, day-to-day habits play in your success?

Habits are powerful productivity tools because they can drastically reduce the time and effort we have to invest in our routine responsibilities.

This allows  us to dedicate more attention to the activities that add meaning to our lives.

Habits Help You Fight Limited Willpower

The number one factor that limits our ability to achieve our goals – of any variety – is not our abilities, finances or circumstances. It’s our willpower. If you had unlimited willpower, none of the challenges you face would stop you because you would have the strength to overcome them or find an alternative solution.

The challenge is, no one has unlimited willpower. Numerous studies, including several cited in the book, have shown that willpower is like a muscle. The more of it you use, the more worn out you become and you eventually hit breaking points where you have no energy left to keep exerting effort. That’s when you do things like blow off a networking event to lay in front of the TV with a bag of chips.

Also like a muscle, you can strengthen your willpower over time and that’s where forming habits can be a powerful tool. Building habits reduces your dependency on your willpower levels because it limits the amount of decisions you need to make to do the things that make you successful. The more habits you have, the more willpower you have saved for tasks that can’t be turned into habits like solving unique problems and tending to your relationships.

Think of all tasks that you do regularly on a daily basis that have very little variation. Once you’ve got a list, create routines to do those tasks the exact same way every time so that they become habits. A great starting point is your morning routine. Follow it every day so you never waste time or willpower deciding if you have time for breakfast or wondering where you left your keys.

How to Create New Habits That Last

Research, largely based on habit-forming abilities in memory-loss patients, has discovered that our brains have a simple, yet powerful, mechanism for developing new habits. It turns outs, habits work a lot like muscle memory; when a cue prompts you to do them, your brain/body carries them out with little conscious thought.

Here’s how to form habits fast:

Choose a simple, everyday cue

For example, if you want to start a morning running habit, make the everyday cue getting out of bed and seeing your running shoes waiting beside your bed.

Give yourself a reward

Your reward may be intrinsic to the activity or something you give yourself after completing the habit. For example, many people feel like the endorphins they get from running is a reward. Others use a physical reward like treating themselves to a healthy snack or a bit of relaxation so they have something to look forward to when the run is over. Regardless, you need something motivate you to stick with the habit.

Develop a Crisis Management Plan

Habits are fragile. Taking a day off or dealing with stressors during the time you’re supposed to complete your habit can easily cause it to derail. This is how you can keep up a perfect exercise habit for months straight then you take one day off to catch up on chores instead and that leads to another day off and then another. Next thing you know, your habit is broken.

You can prevent this from happening by having plans for dealing with scenarios that may cause you to break your habit. An example Duhigg uses in the book involved a group of orthopedic surgery patients. Many people never fully recover because they are unable to push through the pain of keeping up their physical rehabilitation habits. There is however, one group of patients who recovered more fully than any other. Some patients, without being instructed to, created plans for dealing with the most painful moments in their rehab routines – the same point where many others broke their habits. The patients’ plans often involved reminding themselves of the reward they would receive immediately following their rehab exercises.

To maintain habits, you need consistency. Plan to do whatever it takes to achieve this. There is one other catch here: Duhigg’s research reveals that no matter how well you follow the rules for creating new habits, you will be unable to do so unless you believe change is possible.

If you don’t believe that your habits will change, that psychological block will prevent new habits from forming.

How to Break A Bad Habit

Often to build new habits and achieve your goals, you need to replace your bad habits. Notice how I said replace not end. Bad habits are extremely hard to end with a decision to do so because, whether it’s rational or not, our brains crave the reward the bad habit provides. In moments when your willpower is low, your craving triggers the bad habit to return.

To replace your bad habits you need to reduce your craving by limiting your exposure to things that trigger it and find a replacement reward that satisfies the same craving as the bad habit.

For example, if your bad habit is going straight for the junk food when you get home from work, you can lessen the craving by eating a healthy, mid-afternoon snack and have another healthy snack with a similar flavor as your favorite junk food (sweet, salty, etc) waiting for you at home.

Habits’ Role in Team Dynamics

Habits don’t just affect individuals. In the book, Duhigg describes how, over time, habits can form across teams and even entire organizations. If you are a leader, this is important to be aware of so you can observe what habits govern your team’s behavior.

A powerful example Duhigg uses is of a toxic workplace culture at a hospital where the relationships between nurses and doctors were so fractured that the nurses developed habits of color-coding doctor names on whiteboards based on how difficult the doctor was to work with and other ways of sending messages and taking actions behind the doctors’ backs.

After the hospital received bad press and hundreds thousands of dollars in fines following a series of malpractice cases due to doctor carelessness, the administration stepped in to overhaul team habits. This included instituting all new-habits through checklists and additional cameras and other oversights to ensure that hospital employees carried out the habits.

While your team’s bad habits may not be as extreme, they do affect every individual’s productivity and performance levels.

When it comes to changing the habits of a group of people, the key is to focus on keystone habits – single habits that influence people’s behavior in multiple ways. Think about the tasks your team struggles to complete productively due to stress and/or lack of structure and choose habits that will eliminate, or at least minimize the issue.

Case Study from Science of People

For example, here at Science of People, we’ve been working on our productivity habits. In the past, we’ve given our team the freedom to set their own ways of working. It was fine, but we often got lost in emails and struggled to understand what the most urgent tasks were. Now, we have every person on the team check our project management tool Asana – not email – as the first thing they do everyday. This sets the habit of them knowing what the day’s priorities are rather than having them work in a reactionary state and/or work productively but on the the wrong things because they don’t know what tasks are the most urgent.

Bottom line : Once you’ve identified the keystone habit(s) you’re going to target, create a habit loop where you have your employees act on the positive habit so many times that their response becomes automatic.

Like with other goals, track the progress from both your individual and your team’s habits so you can continually identify areas of improvement.

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12 thoughts on “habits: how to form better habits and break bad ones”.

Good. Thank you

I saw your interview with lewis howes 2 weeks ago I have been captured and inspired by you since . I am saving to start your course And one of my personal goal is to now work With you one day . Thank you for connection and insight . I am professional fundraiser so communication is my life . However I have always been a person who has above average knowledge/skills in my jobs but bosses /people over look this due to how I present . So your amazing programs and genius is my key /missing link . I am so grateful and blessed to have found you

Outstanding article! Helped me a lot to make good habits and break bad ones.

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Speech about healthy habits [1,2,3,5 minutes], short 1 minute speech about healthy habits.

Healthy habits are a way of living that can help you stay fit and healthy. They are also a great way to maintain a positive outlook on life.

Some health habits can also be seen as lifestyle changes that can improve your quality of life. A good example is a trend of drinking green tea in order to stay healthy and avoid illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

The most important thing about healthy habits is that they are sustainable over the long term – meaning they don’t require too much effort or willpower to maintain them. Healthy habits are important for a person’s health and well-being. They can help to improve mental and physical health, as well as increase productivity and happiness.

When it comes to healthy habits, the first step is to make sure that you have good sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep, it can lead to fatigue, mood swings, and weight gain among other things.

If you want to be more productive in your life, then focusing on your diet is important. You should be eating healthy foods that will give you energy throughout the day.

Healthy habits are not just about physical health, but also mental health. The more we practice healthy habits, the better our minds and body will be.

Some of the benefits of practicing healthy habits are as follows:

• -Better sleep quality
• -Less stress and anxiety
• -More productivity and focus in work

2 Minutes Speech about Healthy Habits for healthy life

Healthy habits are important for the overall well-being of an individual. They can also help in preventing certain diseases and conditions.

The importance of healthy habits is not just limited to humans. There are many animals that need to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to survive and thrive. For example, dogs need to be fed a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and avoid the consumption of toxic substances like chocolate and caffeine.

Dogs need healthy habits because they live long lives, so their owners should make sure that they maintain a healthy lifestyle as well.

Healthy habits are important for our physical and mental well-being. People with healthy habits feel better and have a better quality of life. But, it is easy to get off track of your healthy routine if you don’t have the right support system.

People who are struggling with their health should consider seeking help from a professional like a nutritionist or doctor. The professionals can provide them with tips on how to improve their health and change their lifestyle for the better.

Healthy habits can be a key to success. Without them, it is difficult for people to achieve their goals. It is important to have healthy eating habits and exercise regularly in order to achieve any goal.

Healthy Habits:

• – Eat healthy foods
• – Exercise regularly

To live a long and healthy life, it is important to practice good habits. These include exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and so on.

A recent study shows that people who are physically active tend to live longer than those who are sedentary. Moreover, those who exercise regularly also have a lower risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

To make sure people adopt these healthy habits in their daily lives, it is important for companies to have a well-balanced work-life balance. This means that employees should be able to take time off from work and spend time with their loved ones.

3 Minutes Speech about Healthy Habits

Healthy habits are the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. They help reduce the risk of disease, maintain a healthy weight and increase productivity.

Some people may find it difficult to implement new habits into their daily routines. However, there are many ways to get started with healthy habits on your own.

One way is to focus on small changes that you can make over time that will have an impact on your life in the long run. Small changes include getting more sleep, eating more fruits and vegetables, and drinking water throughout the day.

The importance of healthy habits is undeniable. A lot of people are trying to live healthier life, but they struggle with it. They often feel like they are not making progress and that they will never be able to stick to their goals.

The article discusses the importance of healthy habits and how we can overcome our struggles with them. It also talks about a few ways in which we can achieve better results in this area.

Healthy habits can help us achieve our goals and become more productive employees, which is why it is important for companies to implement these practices into their workplace culture.

Healthy Habit’s effect on the success

Healthy habits are the result of a healthy lifestyle. They are important for everyone to have. In this introduction, I will be talking about the importance of healthy habits and how it affects your productivity as well as your overall health.

– Healthy diet

– Regular exercise

– Proper sleep routine

– Stress management skills

The importance of healthy habits is not just limited to the benefits that they provide for your body. They also help in keeping you mentally and emotionally balanced.

If you have a busy schedule, it can be difficult to maintain healthy habits. But if you are willing to make time for yourself, then this article will help you do just that.

Healthy habits can help reduce stress and anxiety levels which can lower your risk of developing depression or other mental health conditions.

It is important for students to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to stay focused and avoid distractions.

Students should take care of their bodies and minds by eating healthy food, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.

Students should also have a routine that they stick to every day. This will help them stay on track with their goals and set priorities.

5 Minutes Speech about Healthy Habits

A healthy lifestyle is a way to maintain physical and mental health. It is important for people to have healthy habits that promote positive body image and self-esteem.

Healthy habits can be anything from exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and eating a balanced diet. These habits help people live longer, healthier lives.

The term “healthy habit” is often used interchangeably with “wellness”.

With the increasing number of people who are suffering from health issues, it is important to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes making sure that you have a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.

Many people find it difficult to stick to healthy habits because of time constraints. With AI writing assistants, you can ensure that your work-life balance is maintained while still staying on top of your health goals.

Healthy habits are important for everyone. Whether you are a student, an employee, or a parent, it is important to have healthy habits to keep yourself in shape.

The following are some of the most popular healthy habits:

• -Exercise daily
• -Eat breakfast every day
• -Drink plenty of water
• – taking up a sport;
• – setting up an office gym;
• – using apps to track your progress
• – Get out of your comfort zone and try new things
• – Stay organized and have a goal for every day

A healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, and it is often seen as a way of life. For the best performance, one should have a balanced diet and exercise regularly.

The importance of healthy habits has been emphasized by many health experts and researchers in recent years. It has been suggested that these habits will help people live longer, healthier lives.

As more people are becoming aware of the importance of healthy habits, there are more ways to incorporate them into daily life. Some examples include:

Students need to practice healthy habits. It will keep them focused and motivated to study hard.

Students need to practice healthy habits in order to stay focused and motivated while studying. Healthy habits can help them avoid distractions and keep them from getting sick or falling behind in their studies.

The best way for a student to maintain healthy habits is by taking breaks during the day, exercising regularly, eating well, and sleeping well.

Students have an important role in the future of education. As the world changes, so does education and students must be prepared for it.

Students should make healthy habits a priority because they are a key component in their future. They can also help other students by inspiring them to make healthy choices.

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Book Summary

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"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" is a self-help guide that provides a holistic approach to personal and professional effectiveness. Combining anecdotes with practical advice, the book details seven habits that help individuals achieve true interdependence by mastering the art of self-renewal, collaboration, and interpersonal leadership. This seminal work offers insights into managing one's life through a principle-centered approach, fostering productivity, communication, and integrity as pathways to successful living.

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Daily Kickoff

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‘we cannot look away and we will not be silent’: harris addresses hamas sexual violence.

The vice president spoke at a White House screening of a documentary on sexual violence committed by Hamas on and since Oct. 7

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks on conflict-related sexual violence at an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on June 17, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at a White House event on Monday, emphasized the need for continued attention to the plight of victims of sexual violence by Hamas on and since Oct. 7, including those still being held hostage.

“These testimonies, I fear, will only increase as more hostages are released,” Harris said. “We cannot look away and we will not be silent. My heart breaks for all these survivors and their families, and for all the pain and suffering from the past eight months in Israel and Gaza.”

In her speech, Harris also highlighted instances of sexual violence by Russia and ISIS, as well as by malign actors in Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A fact sheet released by the White House in connection with the event highlighted several of the same hot spots, but did not mention Israel, Hamas or Oct. 7. A spokesperson for Harris declined to comment when asked about the fact sheet.

Harris said in her speech that “we are deeply concerned by all reports of sexual violence and degredation, and we mourn every innocent life lost in this conflict.” She urged Hamas to accept the cease-fire deal that has been presented. She met shortly before her remarks with Amit Soussana, a former hostage who has recounted being sexually assaulted while she was held in Gaza.

Soussana herself also addressed the audience of feminist, Jewish and other leaders.

“I don’t see myself as a victim. I am a strong, independent woman, and no one can change that,” Soussana said. “The sexual assault I experienced should never happen to anyone under any circumstances. No one should ever be sexually violated. And there are no justifying circumstances for these crimes.”

Soussana said she was lucky to have been freed in a previous hostage deal. She said she feels she cannot stay silent about her experiences, and that she feels a responsibility to speak up for those who are still being held. 

“My wounds cannot even begin to heal as long as their suffering continues,” she said. She said that President Joe Biden’s recent speech outlining a possible cease-fire deal gave her hope that the remaining hostages can be released soon.

“I remember telling myself that no matter what happens to me, if I will come out of it alive I would grow stronger from it and not let what happened define me,” Soussana continued. “It will always be a part of my story, but with time the trauma will subside and these difficult events will empower me.”

After Harris’ remarks, the White House screened a portion of the documentary “Screams Before Silence,” which features interviews by former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg. The vice president commended Sandberg for “all your work to bring to light the horrors of this issue.”

Harris said that the international community has “made great progress” in recent years in combating sexual violence “but that is not enough … the crimes persist and globally our system of accountability remains inadequate.” She said that these crimes must not be ignored or go unreported.

The vice president announced an initiative to improve documentation of sexual violence and to ensure accountability beyond condemnation.

Sandberg told reporters after the screening that it’s important to highlight the sexual abuse Hamas committed because “this is the only thing Hamas actually denies,” as do some “pretty mainstream people” internationally.

“I do not, but if you believe that Oct. 7 was resistance and you see sexual violence — that doesn’t fit into that narrative,” she said.

Anat Stalinsky, the documentary’s director, told reporters that it’s important that the film was screened at the White House, and for Harris to discuss it, so that people “bear witness to what actually happened,” giving the message “endorsement and credibility, and you spread the word.”

Meny Aviram, one of the film’s producers, said the film seeks to highlight two key messages: that the hostages are continuing to suffer and that it’s critical that they are brought home expeditiously. Aviram said he hopes that meeting with Soussana will help provide further motivation for Harris to push for a hostage deal.

Jewish community leaders, particularly feminist leaders, had lamented that national and international women’s groups were slow to speak out about Hamas’ use of sexual violence. 

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• Home Security

7 Common Home Security Mistakes You Should Avoid Making in 2024

Unlocked doors, dark yards, poor social media habits and other frequent mistakes all threaten home security. Here's what to keep an eye on.

Home security technology is a great start, but it's important to avoid common mistakes, too.

Home security is all about best practices to keep your belongings and loved ones safe. Some of those best practices can include installing a smart home security system or a camera with instant notifications . But it's also important to find ways to deter criminals before they try something, and avoid the worst home security mistakes -- not matter what kind of technology you use.

These errors can leave your home vulnerable or make it more likely you'll have problems with trespassers or burglars. Check our list, and make a note if you need to start changing any of your home habits. For more security tips, try these safety tips for apartment dwellers and how to prevent home security cameras from being hacked . 

1. Failing to lock windows or doors

The August smart lock can always remind you if you forget to lock your door.

This is going to sound obvious, but one of the worst things you can do when it comes to maintaining your home security is to leave windows or doors unlocked. You might assume that a robber or burglar is going to be willing to brute-force their way into your home, but they're often looking for the lowest effort and lowest impact when breaking in because they don't want to draw attention to themselves. Nothing makes that easier than leaving the door unlocked and allowing them to waltz right in.

One way to prevent this is by placing a security camera outside your front door to create a sense that someone is watching. Another option is to invest in a sensor system that can tell if a door or window is opened. Internet-connected locks may even allow you to lock the door from anywhere, and some systems will alert you when a lock has been left unlocked so you can address it.

2. Hiding keys in common places

Schlage allows you to use Home Keys and other digital passes.

Keeping a spare key outside in case you forget your keys, or if one of your friends or relatives needs to get in, is convenient. It's also convenient for other parties who may want to enter your home without permission. Placing a key in a common location can result in a burglar entering your home without any interference -- even when someone else is home, meaning it may put someone inside in danger.

Instead of placing a key in a place where anyone looking can find it, consider more secure options. Put your key in a lock box that requires a code for access. Use a lock with a keypad that requires a PIN. Smart locks can also allow for remote unlock, so you can allow someone into your home even when you aren't there. You can also create digital passes for other people to make management easier.

3. Not maintaining your tech

Home security systems and cameras are two of the best all-around defenses against would-be burglars.

Smart home technology has brought us security devices like security cameras, smart locks and alarms. But technology also introduces a number of potential points of failure for your security system -- and ones that you might not consider if you assume that the technology "just works."

Consider how your smart home security devices operate. Do they plug in for power or do they use a battery? Check your plugged-in devices after any power outage to make sure they're working, and check battery-powered devices regularly to make sure they're functioning as expected. Also, make sure to keep the software up to date. Failing to do so can render your technology faulty or inoperable and can leave you open to cybersecurity attacks.

4. Keeping the yard dark at night

Floodlights can be an important deterrent, and this Blink Outdoor base even lets you add lights to existing combos.

A dark yard may feel private and keep the light away from your windows, but it can also be an invitation to skulk around. It makes it easier for trespassers to peek into your windows and see what goodies are inside your home. Lighting up your yard at night is a better alternative for home security.

This is why we have a complete list of the best home security cameras with lights . These lights work with motion detection and object recognition, so they will only light up if they see a person, saving your eyeballs during the dark hours.

5. Letting your bushes and trees get wild

Overgrown bushes and plants can block windows or make it easy for trespassers to hide.

Bushes, shrubs or trees look great, help with curb appeal and provide shade during hot days. But if you let them grow too high or wild, they can get in the way of your smart cameras and even provide cover for trespassers trying to get inside your home. Watch for plants that are doing things like:

• Obscuring your windows
• Blocking lines of sight for security cameras
• Growing against your walls or roof (this is also a fire hazard)

If you notice these problems, it's time to plan a trimming project, or think about taking these obstructive plants out and putting in some newer landscaping instead.

6. Being casual with packaging

Kasa's very affordable doorbell can watch for packages.

One common way that thieves look for potential break-in opportunities is watching what people put in their trash. If they see lots of boxes, especially big boxes for electronics, TVs and so on, they know a house has valuable, new items. Nip these signs in the bud by always cutting up your big boxes when disposing of them. Avoid any obvious outdoor clues that you recently made a big purchase.

7. Talking about all your home activity on social media

Social media shares are fun, but avoid giving out too many details about when you aren't home -- or what you just bought.

We understand the urge to share fun news with friends, but one of the most common home security mistakes we see now is people oversharing on social media. You don't always know who's looking at your posts, especially if you have a lot of followers with tenuous contact to your personal life. Those pics and posts about your new game console or current trip to the seaside could be an invitation for burglars or others with ill intent.

Mitigate your risks by culling your followers of any strangers and keeping trip plans off social media until you're back home. Try not to boast too much about big new purchases, especially if you don't know who'll be seeing it. 

Since you're already thinking about home security, read up on using an old smartphone as a security camera and the most effective places around the house to put security cameras . Heading into July sales, learn how to deter porch pirates .

RCMP official calls for debate on hate speech law after probe of controversial imam ends without charges

Adil charkaoui gave a speech calling for the deaths of 'the enemies of the people of gaza'.

Social Sharing

The RCMP is warning of a growing number of cases of public speech that could incite hatred and is asking whether it has the legal tools to counter the trend.

RCMP Chief Superintendent Karine Gagné told Radio-Canada that while she wouldn't comment directly on the case of controversial imam Adil Charkaoui — who gave a speech in Arabic in Montreal late last year in which he called on Allah to "kill the enemies of the people of Gaza" — she believes it may be time to revisit Canada's laws on hate speech, which date from the early 2000s.

Following an RCMP investigation, prosecutors in Quebec chose not to charge Charkaoui.

Gagné, the head of criminal investigations for the RCMP in Quebec, said international events like the war in Gaza now have swifter and more immediate impacts on local communities.

"There is an evolution when it comes to international events, the speed at which we receive information. It's instantaneous. In 2002, it wasn't like that," she said.

Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani told Radio-Canada he's also concerned about the spread of hatred in Canada and is open to changing the Criminal Code based on the opinion of experts.

On October 28, 2023, during a speech at a pro-Palestine rally in Montreal, Charkaoui denounced "Zionist aggressors" and called on Allah to "kill the enemies of the people of Gaza and to spare none of them."

The speech was denounced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault, among others.

A complaint was filed with the Montreal Police Department but the RCMP quickly took over the matter.

Several sources said the RCMP took on the investigation after police authorities determined the imam's words could have raised issues related to national security and anti-terrorism law.

• Eliminating religion as a hate speech defence an idea worth exploring, says antisemitism envoy
• Crown won't file charges over controversial pro-Palestinian speeches in Montreal
• Politicians, Jewish groups outraged by Montreal imam's prayer at pro-Palestinian protest

When the RCMP investigation concluded, prosecutors determined that Charkaoui's speech did not violate Canadian laws.

In a news release, the Quebec Crown prosecutors' office said "the evidence does not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the words spoken constitute incitement to hatred against an identifiable group within the meaning of the applicable Criminal Code provision."

Charkaoui applauded the decision on social media, saying his speech was intended to "denounce the genocide" in Gaza.

"This excellent decision was predictable," he said in an online video. "We are not going to give up, we are going to continue to defend these oppressed people."

Gagné said the country's police chiefs have seen a "resurgence of hate speech across the country" and suggested it's time to discuss changes to the law.

" Could this possibly lead to a debate on the issue? I think it's very relevant to talk about it now, in 2024," she said.

She added the RCMP "intervenes when there is a potential for an investigation that falls within our national security mandate."

Montreal's Jews 'under attack' says community leader after shots fired at schools

Police sources have told Radio-Canada that other police services worry that the Crown's decision in the Charkaoui matter could encourage hate speech elsewhere in Canada, which has been ramping up online and in person since the Israel-Hamas war began.

In March, Quebec's college of physicians imposed a $25,000 fine against a cardiologist who called for a "big cleansing" in the Gaza Strip on his Facebook account.

At a protest in Ottawa in April, in a speech that is now under police investigation, a protester praised the brutal Hamas-led attack on Israel of Oct. 7, 2023.

"October 7 is proof that we are almost free," said one protester, according to a video posted online. "Long live October 7."

The war was sparked by Hamas's surprise Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mainly Israeli civilians, and saw about 250 others taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. About 120 hostages remain, with 43 pronounced dead.

Israel's military offensive has killed more than 36,700 Palestinians and wounded in excess of 83,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It has also destroyed about 80 per cent of Gaza's buildings, according to the UN.

• Pro-Palestinian protesters reject U of O proposal, vow to remain at encampment
• Israeli military bombards central Gaza as Palestinian death toll in hostage rescue raid rises
• Disputes among G7 nations may prevent consensus on a path to peace in Gaza: experts

In the case of Charkaoui's speech, the legal questions revolved around sections 318 and 319 of the Criminal Code, which prohibit public incitement to hatred against "identifiable groups."

According to the legal definition, identifiable groups must be distinguished on grounds such as "colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin."

As several experts have noted, Charkaoui's speech did not mention a religious or ethnic group but took aim at "Zionists," meaning adherents to the movement that led to the establishment of a Jewish state.

Rachad Antonius, a retired sociology professor at Université du Québec à Montréal and author of many books on the Middle East and human rights, denounced Charkaoui's speech and said he does not represent the vast majority of Canadians in the pro-Palestinian movement.

Antonius said there's still room for criticism of the Zionist movement in the public space.

A 'cry of despair'

"Anti-Zionism is a policy of opposition to the political project that is Zionism. It has nothing to do with antisemitism," he said. "This is not a form of racism. It is a way to take a stand for social justice.

"The Criminal Code is important, but we must also be able to distinguish between what constitutes hatred and what constitutes legitimate criticism. We must also distinguish between what is hatred and what is a cry of despair in the face of a horror that is happening before our eyes."

Others argue Charkaoui's speech crossed a clear line.

"We wonder where the limits are," said Eta Yudin of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. "Is the law being applied to its maximum? Is there something to be done to look at Sections 318 and 319 [of the Criminal Code] to see if they go far enough, so that we deal with the hatred, vitriol and toxicity that we see on the streets?"

She said that while she has no objection to political speech criticizing Israel, its government or its actions, she fears using the word "Zionist" could become a way to circumvent the definition of "identifiable group" in the law.

"When there is a big demonstration in the street [where] there is talk about 'Zionists', it's quite clear. It's frequently used as a code to say 'Zionists' instead of saying 'Jews' but really it's a way to target Jews. The majority of the global Jewish community is Zionist," she said.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has come out in support of a proposal by the Bloc Québécois calling for the abolition of the "religious exemption" in section 319 of the Criminal Code.

According to this portion of the criminal law on incitement to hatred, it's not illegal to express "an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text."

Shortly after the Crown announced its decision not to pursue charges against Charkaoui, Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet said the "tools made available to the justice system" are "inadequate."

Virani himself represents a riding in the Toronto area where tensions over the war in Gaza are running high.

"It is certain that we have had a problem with hatred for the last five years or so, but especially now, during the last eight months," Virani told Radio-Canada. "We see that hatred circulates extremely quickly ... within seconds, minutes or hours, in the digital age."

Asked to comment on requests for changes to sections of the Criminal Code related to incitement to hatred, Virani referred to Bill C-63, the federal government's proposed law on online harms, now before the House of Commons. This bill includes measures to combat hate crimes and hate speech, including longer maximum prison sentences.

Asked whether he is ready to change the definition of "identifiable group" in the Criminal Code, Virani said he's open to expert opinions.

"If they suggest amendments to target things in a different way, or to refine or clarify aspects, I'm completely comfortable listening to suggestions like that," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Leblanc is a reporter with more than 20 years experience in investigative journalism and federal politics. He is a past winner of the Michener Award, the Charles Lynch Award and three National Newspaper Awards.

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Guest Essay

The 19th-Century Club You’ve Never Heard of That Changed the World

By Jon Grinspan

Dr. Grinspan is a curator of political history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the author of “ Wide Awake : The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War.”

George Kimball was ready for war as soon as the first brick hit his head.

The 20-year-old printer was listening to an abolitionist lecture in Boston’s Bowdoin Square during the 1860 presidential campaign, when a pro-slavery throng tried to shut it down. Kimball was prepared, present as part of a torch-bearing, black-clad bodyguard called the Wide Awakes, who beat the brick-throwers back using their torches as clubs.

As Kimball walked home, blood in his eyes, he wanted “war declared at once.” Years later, having fought his way through from Bull Run to Gettysburg to Petersburg, he still considered that Boston brickbat, “as much a casus belli as was the firing upon Fort Sumter.” For him, it was the embattled right to publicly protest slavery that sparked the conflict — a fight over free speech brought on the war.

Today, our starkest political debates often turn on similar questions of public speech and public violence. Across diverse conflicts, from college campuses to the Capitol’s steps, we keep asking where the line is between heated words and aggressive deeds. Though framed as a legal question concerning the First Amendment, more often it’s a conundrum for our political culture.

In a democracy, how far is too far?

It’s a question that fueled America’s bloodiest war. The Civil War was fought over slavery (anyone who says it wasn’t is just wrong). But how did American slavery, which began in 1619, spark a conflict in 1861? How did a long-running debate turn into a shooting war? Where, exactly, was that dynamic moment when an argument became a fight?

George Kimball’s Wide Awakes help make sense of it all. That half-forgotten movement provides a missing link between the election and the war. In the presidential campaign of 1860, hundreds of thousands of diverse young Americans joined companies of Wide Awakes, marching in militaristic uniforms, escorting Republican speakers, fighting in defense of antislavery speech. Their grass-roots rising helped elect Abraham Lincoln as president but also began the spiral into war.

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