Stephen Covey

I read Stephen Covey's books during my Old Mutual years and it had an immense impact. He introduced me to the importance of values and principles and the idea of creating a personal mission statement. He also taught the importance of "sharpening the saw" and planning the week by scheduling important tasks (fitting the rock in the jar before adding the sand.)

Some favourite quotes

• If you want to change something without, change within. If you want a happy relationship, BE a person who generates positive energy. Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.
• All of us think we see the world as it is; we see the world as we are.
• Our paradigms, correct or incorrect, are the sources of our attitudes and behaviors, and ultimately our relationships with others.
• Interdependence is the paradigm of “we”—we can do it; we can combine our talents and abilities to create something greater together. Despite independence being the avowed goal of many people and social movements, interdependence is a far more effective and advanced concept.
• I live my life by True North principles – the Laws of Life. I connect with the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of the heart.
• Our behavior is governed by principles. Living in harmony with them brings positive consequences; violating them brings negative consequences.
• There are fundamental laws of life (Truths) that operate with unerring consistency – and you are better off to the degree to which you learn to live according to them.
• Everyone has values; even criminal gangs have values. Values govern people’s behaviour but principles govern the consequences of those behaviors.
• Principles are universal —that is, they transcend culture and geography. They’re also timeless, they never change—principles such as fairness, kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, service, contribution.
• Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconcious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.
• If you’re proactive, you don’t have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own.
• There are some things over which we have no real control and others that we can do something about. Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence.
• Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.
• Between stimulus and response, you have the freedom to choose your response based on self awareness, your imagination, your conscience and your independent will.
• 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.
• Always start every endeavour with a clear sense of purpose.
• To be successful we must live from our imaginations, not from our memories.
• Put first things first.
• Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.
• The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
• Examples of Quadrant 2 tasks  (important and non urgent tasks) :  Preparation, planning activities, prevention, relationships, new opportunities, creativity, true recreation, personal development, empowerment
• Doing more things faster is no substitute for doing the right things.
• If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.
• Most people struggle with life balance simply because they haven’t paid the price to decide what is really important to them.
• A personal mission statement becomes the DNA for every other decision we make.
• An empowering mission statement deals with all the significant roles in your life.  It represents a lifetime balance of personal, family, work, community – whatever roles you feel are yours to fill.
• Think win-win.
• A Win-Win outcome requires trust. When you work for a Win-Win outcome, you seek mutual benefit.
• Listen first to understand, then speak to be understood.
• 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.
• Synergy is celebrating differences, teamwork, open-mindedness, and finding new and better ways together.  Synergy means you can literally produce something with another person that neither of you could have produced
• Habit 7 is taking the time to sharpen the saw. By renewing the four dimensions of your nature –    physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional, you can work more quickly and effortlessly. To do this, we must be proactive. This is a Quadrant II (important, not urgent) activity that must be acted on. It’s at the center of our Circle of Influence, so we must do it for ourselves.
• To maintain the P/PC Balance, the balance between the golden egg (production) and the health and welfare of the goose (production capability) is often a difficult judgment call. But I suggest it is the very essence of effectiveness.
• Begin each day with the blueprint of my deepest values firmly in mind, then when challenges come, make decisions based on those values.
• By planning ahead one week at a time rather than each day, you gain a better perspective of what is urgent and what is important.
• Fit in the big rocks first and the smaller stones will fit between the spaces.
• The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
• Quotes on Wisdom Trove