Vivere la vita in crescendo: La sfida più importante è quella che dobbiamo ancora affrontare

by Stephen R. Covey

Nella sua carriera Stephen R. Covey ha ispirato milioni di persone rendendo le loro vite più efficaci, empatiche e significative. Verso la fine della sua vita sentiva che c'erano altre questioni importanti a cui come si può continuare a dare il proprio contributo quando si è già raggiunto il successo? Come si fa a salvarsi da una mezza età stagnante? Come si risponde alle battute d'arresto della vita? Come si può vivere al meglio la seconda metà della vita fra progetti di pensione, di una nuova carriera, il desiderio di guidare e ispirare gli altri ed espandere il proprio ruolo nella comunità? "Vivere la vita in Crescendo" risponde a queste domande, delineando la visione di Covey per ogni età e fase della vita. Attingendo alla propria personale missione di vita, Covey sprona i lettori a “vivere in Crescendo”, senza mai smettere di imparare, di accrescere la propria influenza e di dare il proprio contributo. Indipendentemente dalla situazione, è essenziale approcciare la vita con la consapevolezza che le nostre sfide più importanti sono sempre davanti a noi. Così come una melodia si costruisce sulle note venute prima, anche la vita si sviluppa dal passato per proiettarsi nel futuro. Questa mentalità ci spinge a usare tutto ciò di cui disponiamo – tempo, talenti, risorse, doni, passione, soldi e influenza – per arricchire la vita di chi ci la famiglia, i vicini, la comunità e il mondo intero. Scritto insieme alla figlia Cynthia Covey Haller e pubblicato postumo, "Vivere la vita in Crescendo" è un libro in grado di cambiarvi la vita con lo stile generoso e saggio del Covey degli ultimi anni.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Audiobook, Business

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and speaker. His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His other books include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, The 8th Habit, and The Leader In Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. In 1996, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people. He was a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University (USU) at the time of his death.

Reviews

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Dr Stephen R. Covey's last book. His eldest child, Cynthia, completed the book after Covey died in 2012.

The core idea is this: No matter the heights we've achieved to date, our best contribution is always ahead of us. It's the same if we've wasted our lives up to this point. At any age or stage of life, we can start fresh.

In 2009, I conducted the last Australian interview with Dr. Covey. I titled my article "Live Life in Crescendo" and I'm thrilled this book has made it in print. I started my journey with The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People when I was 17. I'm 47 now and I've finally accepted I'm ageing. The Coveys filled the book with principles and ideas for how you can keep contributing.

There's a quote in the book about how you should plan how you will live at 65 when you're in your teens. You don't need to be in your 40s or older to benefit from this book.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a worthy sequel of sorts to the venerable 7 Habits, and addresses a disappointing trend I see in society at large. We should never rest on our laurels and instead continue onward and upward, until "the whistle blows" as it were. I really appreciated the candor of Cynthia in detailing the Covey family's struggle as both the patriarch and matriarch of this powerhouse of a family declined in age and ability. I think to their credit, both Steven and Sandra Covey exemplified living life in crescendo up until the very last.

I also hope that the popularity of this book will help push against the tide of ageism that sends the message to older people that they are no longer useful and cannot contribute.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many good points but sort of tossed together randomly sometimes. It was thus hard to keep picking up and actually finish. The examples, and there are many, were not nuanced — everyone lived happily ever after.

[Bart Timmers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niet uitgelezen. Niet doorheen te komen, Superamerikaans, als je maar goed je best doet en dankbaar bent dan komt het allemaal wel goed.

[恩恩 · Rating 1 out of 5]

難看死 受眾只適合中年男子 「協助妻子照顧小孩」到底是什麼鬼 結婚是為了免費僕人嗎
還有很多類似的 大概讀兩章就頭痛到看不下去

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi boek met inspirerende voorbeelden om een betekenisvol leven te leiden en naar mogelijkheden te kijken om anderen te dienen.

[Raj Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listen to an audio book every morning while I warm up for a run (or while I try to convince myself to run).

This was an audio book for me — a daughter’s love letter to her now passed-on father. It’s a great reminder to find fulfillment in being useful, even in older age.

This book happened to be perfect timing for me. I’m shifting from being a provider/protector for my now-almost-grown children to being part of their support system. In ministry, from a worship leader to other areas of service. At work, it’s been a similar transition in many ways. I’m at the stage now when many of my peers are retiring or transitioning to their off-ramp job and home. I’m starting to feel that gravity myself, but I don’t feel a release quite yet from the uniform.

If you’re not in this place in life, this might feel a bit sappy or overly-optimistic.

I’ve always been fascinated with identity and how it is such a complex part of our human experience —I recommend this book for those going through a similar adjustment in your own identity and purpose.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Covey always has a way of packaging great truths in easy to remember phrases that make them easy to put into practice. This book is no exception. I love the premise and the many examples that were used to help see how they can be embodied in your own life. I do know the co-author, and I can assure you she does exemplify this concept. I can also assure that knowing personally some of the examples she uses, she has not embellished them. They are truly as wonderful as she described. This is a great book for all us Boomers.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Life is about contribution, not accumulation."
". . .the first two-thirds of your life will serve as a preparation for the last third of your life, where you will make your finest contributions."
"So what will you choose-- to retire or renew."
"When I go down to the grave, I can say like many others, 'I have finished my day's work.' But I cannot say, 'I have finished my life's work." My day's work will begin again the next morning."
--Victor Hugo

[Benjamin Vinterberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do like the sentiment that the book is all about. I do however think the presentation was very bland. I might have liked a bit more if I had had an extremely traumatising event in my life that I used as a stop block for living or was in retirement age. But since my outlook on life already follows a similar trajectory that is preached in this book, I don’t really feel like I’ve had any take aways. The best I can do is relay to other people how the traumatised people mentioned in the book moved on, you can too.

I will say the daughter has done a good job of mimicking her dads writing style, as I only noticed the changing POV so to speak, when she specifically pointed it out.

I can name at least 5 books that, while phrasing it differently, will teach the same positive outlook on life in a better and more succinct way.

Read it if the title intrigues you, otherwise skip it

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is popular with many approaching or early in retirement, but its advice applies to other ages as well and has many people mentioned who are still far from retiring.

While the stories of the accomplishments of many well-known people, the book has many stories of people whose started great work before they were known, so it can be enjoyed by anyone. It even discusses how important work can be found inside a family or neighborhood. The book encourages the appreciation of the effort rather than the praise of the effort by others.

The book isn't as well known as Covey's "7 Habits" but still offers advice and encouragement that can influence an individual's life as much as "7 Habits" has.

[Dorise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is classic Covey material - inspiring, positive, practical. As a young retiree from the corporate world pondering the rest of my life, I appreciate the message and encouragement. I completely agree that there are myriad opportunities to serve and that volunteers reap tremendous non-tangible rewards. The book is a bit heavy with examples of lives well spent and not quite as focused on how to develop a practice of contribution as I would have liked, but overall a very good read. It also includes some personal family insights on the Coveys’ later years and another recent family tragedy.

[Ligia Bonetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Live Life in Crescendo success is defined by continuous growth and contribution rather than past achievements. Covey emphasizes that one’s greatest impact is always ahead, encouraging a mindset of lifelong learning, service, and resilience. By focusing on this, there is no age for retiring since you always have your life purpose in front of you. Whether that might be helping others and staying purpose-driven individuals, Covey´s final lesson is to create a meaningful legacy until your last breath. Great read.

[bijan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it was really hard to follow, the book is merely hundreds of small stories trying to convey you have your best life ahead of you, no actual methodology or practice or anything. It’s a book of short stories.
Also I was listening to the audio book and probably the author wasn’t the best choice to read this, her voice lacks energy. She claims she wrote the book with her dad and continued after he passed away, but it feels more like she wrote the majority of the book as most stories are after the dad’s death

[Joseph Clampitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. False advertising, not actually written by Stephen Covey. Read the Preface where his daughter admits she wrote it in his voice. Reads like a scattered collection of feel-good stories without anything substance connecting them. Covey’s daughter says she wrote it over a span of decades as she struggled to find time for it. And that’s what it reads like.

I read the preface, intro, and chapter 1 before giving up on it getting better.

[Trent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the general premise - which is stated well in the title itself. The few ideas the book covers were mostly told through examples and stories of people who have exemplified those principles. But the chapters didn't feel as focused and the writing a bit disjointed. Yet, I still feel it gave me a good perspective of how I should look to my future and continually be proactive about what I choose to do to contribute.

[Symbria Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book aligns closely with my personal paradigm and world views, so you could say it told me exactly what I wanted to hear. In general, I feel the central thesis of these types of books could be condensed to 20 pages, but I still appreciated the stories/case studies gathered and the articulation of many things I’ve felt but haven’t found the words for.

[Alberto Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante libro, enfocado en vivir con mentalidad de crecimiento y mentalidad de contribución. Ilustra ejemplos de personajes reales que han seguido contribuyendo a la sociedad a través de diversas actividades luego de jubilarse en sus trabajos y motiva a la gente para que continúe a dejar su "legado" durante las últimas etapas de la vida.

[Hanna Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Highly recommend to anyone going through a midlife crisis.

Favourite quote:

“True success is not always what it appears to be or what others celebrate…
If you succeed in the most important roles in your own life you are successful in the things that truely matter most…
True success is to Become a significant influence in the world”

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful book to consider the crescendo of life so that it can be fulfilling and happy. It’s simple ideas are illustrated with relatable examples and it references the learning from Covey’s earlier work.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ideas in the book are four stars. You can probably gist a lot of the ideas from a podcast appearance; she was a great guest on Aom. A must read for anyone close to retirement but also folks in other stages

[Kimi Dahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF

Was definitely catered to the mid-life crisis group/retirement group. I'm not in either of those camps, so I skimmed a couple chapters throughout and ultimately decided I wasn't finding much value from the content. There is a nice appendix of volunteer organizations in the back, though.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding guide for what comes next and how to be productive and improving the lives of others leading up to your retirement and beyond. Gave me a new model to approach life and I am truly grateful for the book.

[Wulan Suci Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learn new good mindset through this book that “Our most important work is always ahead of us”. Half of the book is written by the famous author of ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ before He passed on. Offers many good insights from interesting people life, that inspire me to do better more and more in every each day comes.

[Adam Ricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one more. I probably just wasn't the target audience for it - so it didn't resonate with me as much. I think it has an overall good message - and for me - the message was to not get caught by some of the mid-life crisis traps that some fall into.

[Christian Åkerhielm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creatively encouraging and challenging

This great read can help prolonging a meaningful and purpose filled life. Life conditions change with aging, but there is always a dream fit even for later stages in life for those who long for more.

[Daniel Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

What a great conclusion to Dr. Covey’s teaching & example. A truly exceptional reminder of what’s possible. There’s a future that awaits.

[Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important books for me.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book with real life stories about people who continued to have greatness beyond their first career and later in life. I have never quoted a book as much as this one.

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very focused on staying busy during the retirement years. That wasn't what I expected but it made me think that I should start preparing for that next phase.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Covey however narrator is bad unless you listen at twice speed. Great principles of life.