Some of you who follow me on social media like Facebook or Google+ know that I have begun to re-read some of the books that have influenced me over the past couple of decades. By influencing, I mean not just making me think about something, but actually making me think AND modify how I live and work. It's been interesting, to see what things stuck with me over time and which things faded. What I am hoping to do, is slowly diagram these books out as I finish them, then sort of merge them into a whole to see the patterns of what I have learned, and what was effective, at least for me.
Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was probably the first book (outside the Bible, which belongs in a class all by itself.) that changed my thoughts AND my behavior, so it seemed like a good place to start. The value of this book is probably reflected in that, more than a decade after it came out, it continues to hover around, and sometimes break in to, the best seller list. It's definitely stood the test of time, not just in my life, but for people everywhere.
The chart above breaks down the seven habits. They are important to me that many years ago I made a chart with the seven habits that I have framed along with my personal mission statement. This chart has sat in every office I have worked out of since 1998.
Diagramming these out is not intended to replace reading the book. Instead it's designed to give you the main points. If you've read the book, it will be a nice reminder. If you haven't read the book, it will give you a quick glimpse into it's main point, and perhaps, make you want to read it, or start a discussion. If you like this one, you can download a PDF copy here. You can also double click on the image above for a larger JPG image.
Tom
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