Ironically, the more you focus on the things you can control, the more your abilities and skills improve. And often also spoils our mood because it takes the form of worrying and complaining. We can only influence a portion of what we care about, and that’s where we should be focusing on.įocusing on anything else means focusing on what the author calls “the circle of concerns”.įocusing on what we cannot control is a waste of time and energy. Focus On What You Can ControlĬovey introduces the “circle of control” to represent all that we care about. This is also a major stoic philosophy pillar that Ryan Holiday also renders in his fantastic The Obstacle is The Way. In our response lies our growth and our freedom In that space is our power to choose our response. The author quotes Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, when he says:īetween stimulus and response there is a space. If you feel down, it’s because you allowed the stimulus to bring you down. Proactive is not what most people would think it is.įor Covey being proactive means exercising your power of choice between the stimulus you receive from the world and your response. You Create Your Reality: You’re In Charge The way we see the problem is the problem Part II: Private Victory Habit 1: Be Proactive The last habit, habit number 7, focuses on continuous growth and improvement. Such as, learning to cooperate to achieve more than you could have by yourself. They will move you from independence to interdependence. Habits 4, 5, and 6 are about people and relationships. The first three habits move you from dependence from the world to the independence of making your own world. The first three habits indeed deal with yourself because it all starts with you. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” presents an approach to effectiveness based on character and principles. That paradigm shift is a new way of looking at the world. And the most fundamental way of changing yourself is through a paradigm shift. They see a big success and want to know how he did it, believing (and hoping) they can do the same following a quick bullet list.īut real change, the author says, comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out.

Let’s dig deeper: Part I: Paradigm and PrinciplesĬovey says most people look for quick fixes. Take care of yourself: keep learning, improving and growing.Learn to communicate and deal with people: it’s life’s most important skill.Real, deep change starts within yourself.Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.

7 habits of highly effective people pdf