So what exactly makes highly effective people - highly effective?
Suppose someone takes courses in Time Management,
but is unable to apply them.
They feel a slight improvement in their ability
to manage their time,
but that’s about it.
I, for example, invested a lot of time
into being very good at advertising
, but I felt frustrated.
I didn't feel a sense of mission or giving.
I felt that instead of connecting with people,
I was busy selling stuff that even I didn’t need.
The reason for failure in these situations
is found in the difference between what society considers to be success,
and one's internal sense of success.
According to society,
success means using techniques to appear successful or friendly.
Internal success, however, comes from things
like humility, decency, patience, and more.
The book discusses seven habits
which are needed in order to achieve efficiency in life.
HABIT 1: Be Proactive
The first habit is to change the things that are in our power to change.
That means, focusing on what we cannot change is the opposite of efficiency.
For example, let's look at a situation in which a mentally ill patient
is swearing at the nurse taking care of him.
The nurse realizes that correcting a sick person is a challenge.
Having come to terms with her inability to change the patient’s behavior,
the nurse realizes that what she can change is her reaction to the situation.
Changing the way she reacts frees the nurse
from the pressure and the frustration she felt before.
Another example:
Dana is not making enough money to rent a bigger apartment.
She shouldn't waste her time complaining about government corruption.
she should focus on what she can change.
Meaning, Dana should either earn more,
rent a cheaper apartment, or take in roommates.
HABIT 2: Begin With The End In Mind
The second habit is to know why
you wish to achieve your goals.
An excellent example of this principle would be
for you to picture yourself attending your own funeral.
Four people are sharing their memories of you:
a relative, a colleague, a close friend,
and a member of your community.
What would you want each of them to say?
You should live your life according to your answer.
Another example is to invest in something
only to find out that you feel no sense of success.
Why? Because the ladder you’ve been using
is leaning against the wrong wall:
you’ve been focusing on the wrong thing.
For example, choosing to invest heavily in your career
rather than in your spouse and kids.
HABIT 3: Put First Things First
Habit 3 requires us to say NO
to many urgent but unimportant things.
This is the only way
we will have enough time for the things that truly matter.
For example,
when parents spend their evening watching TV,
their kids often misbehave.
Why?
Because their kids did not get
their much-needed attention during the day.
Another great example:
if an employee wants to convince his boss
not to mark unimportant tasks as urgent,
he should explain how the "busywork" will delay
or even prevent him from performing the more important tasks.
HABIT 4: Think Win-Win
This habit is based on a mentality of abundance
rather than absence,
which is why both parties involved in a situation should benefit.
Otherwise, the deal should not be made.
The thing is,
people often make deals which contradict this rule.
For example, a businessperson might accept a bad transaction
or chase after an unsuitable client
due to temporary stress, such as a cash flow problem.
Obviously, accepting a deal which is not profitable
or involves working with an unsuitable client
will ultimately cause damage.
Good implementation of the Win-Win principle
would be when two business owners make a deal which increases both their profits.
For example, a gym owner and a salon owner:
each makes more money
because some of the gym’s clients will visit the salon, and vice versa.
In this way,
both business owners gain clients and increase their profit
without spending money on advertising.
HABIT 5: First Seek to Understand, Then To Be Understood
This means that if you wish your position to be understood,
you must first completely understand the point of view of the other side.
Take, for example, how not listening leads to unwelcome results:
suppose a patient complains to an optometrist about discomfort in their eyes.
Instead of examining the patient's eyes and diagnosing the problem,
the optometrist recommends treatment.
In such a case the patient will not comply and will probably never return.
The optometrist has lost a client because he did not listen.
How often do we recommend a solution
without really understanding what the problem is?
HABIT 6: Synergize
Synergy is a collaborative effort between two or more people,
whose final result provides more than any of the parties could have achieved alone.
A wonderful example of synergy comes from the field of learning.
When you want to learn something new,
the best way to do so is to turn to someone who disagrees with your opinion.
For instance, if I believe the minimum wage should be zero,
I will have much to learn from someone who thinks otherwise.
When listening to each other,
both of us will have insights we wouldn’t have had otherwise,
and that’s how true learning is created.
HABIT 7: Sharpen The Saw
The 7th habit is self-work.
The purpose of self-work is to improve ourselves and prevent burnout.
This habit has 4 areas of application:
The physical aspect, which means keeping a healthy diet,
getting enough sleep, and so on;
The social / emotional aspect,
expressed by the formation of close relationships;
The mental aspect, which includes things like reading good books,
or watching videos which enrich our life - not trash TV;
and the spiritual aspect, which includes things such as listening to music,
doing artwork, and walking in nature.
In order to explain this habit,
let’s imagine a woodchopper who chooses to sharpen his saw before cutting up each log.
A dull saw would make it difficult to cut the wood efficiently.
However, sharpening the saw on a regular basis would result in higher productivity.
By investing in things that do us good -
mentally, physically, and emotionally - we increase our efficiency.
I hope this book review gave you at least one idea which you can implement today.
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