An Effective Life: Inspirational Philosophy from Dr. Covey’s Life

by Stephen R. Covey, Joshua Covey (Foreword)

Covey wisdom ─ A key to satisfaction and success Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has inspired millions. Today’s generation will be newly inspired by Covey’s An Effective Life , a new approach to practicing the motivating principles taught by one of the greatest teachers of all time. An Effective Life shares original new perspectives on life and self-evaluation, striking infographics, and inspirational quotes in a fresh new package designed for the generation early in their careers and for those long-time Covey admirers who seek to improve their work and personal lives based on principles. You’ll also find a Personal Journal to help you process the insights you’ve gleaned from the book. This book is more than an inspiration, it is an introduction to important principles needed to live An Effective Life .

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

201 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2016

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

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephen R. Covey tells us the essential principles we need to follow and the areas where we have to modify or change to lead a practical life. Though it is a short book, some areas in it will strike a chord with you.

What is life’s toughest problem? What is the failure which can never be compensated?
Covey tells us the importance of having a solid family. In our life, the first priority should always be on our family. He says that family problems are life’s toughest problems.

“Family conflicts are the most heartbreaking of life’s toughest problems. This is a great irony. At home, we can experience the most sublime energies and joys or the deepest distress. I believe that no other success in life can compensate for failure at home.”

My favourite three lines from this book

“Who am I? I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

“Incompatibility is cited as the reason most often for divorce. Usually incompatibility comes down to resentment of differences, rather than valuing differences”

“There is no effectiveness without discipline and there is no discipline without character. And there is no character without first starting and asking questions.”

If you are someone who read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, this book will be an excellent choice to refresh your ideas.

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[Paul Botterill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People was amazing and insightful. So I was keen to read this. However, the nature of the book (a series of quotes and musings) led to a note-form style which was not really to my taste. The content on the snippets were, as you would expect from Stephen R Covey, insightful, true and useful.

[Nada | ندى · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love it

[S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

So you have read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change a while ago (it was actually my very first self-help book 15 years ago - I still swear by proactivity) and would want to refresh your memory - and you're of course aware of the ridiculous amount of YT videos that suggest a summary ranging from 10 to 38 minutes (subliminal signal to read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak) but that wasn't enough - this audiobook was for me the perfect alternative in between reading a book and listening to it without any sort of reductionist summary.

This is basically the synthesis of Covey's work, and it just gives you a fresh reminder of his methodology and approach towards efficiency. One recurrent theme is going back to nature to find inspiration, to the cosmos ... and this is ideal, since it is at the heart of my belief: to reflect on universal and natural laws be it in finding more opportunities within myself through introspection or learning how to celebrate diversity as I witness around me (if that's your thing too, check Complexity Science - You can check my shelf 'VUCA' where you can find fundamental books) - for stimulating revelations) ...

I got my audiobook via Audible and it's an unabridged version, the quality is great, although I wished it was slower and better at highlighting main lessons.

[Javier Fernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una versión concreta y más sintetizada de “Los 7 hábitos de la gente altamente efectiva”.
El libro no está mal pero tampoco es increíblemente esclarecedor. Léelo si quieres refrescar ideas y razones por las que enfocarse en lo que está en tu control y lo que puedes cambiar; así como no asumir lo peor de los demás y redirigir tus actitudes hacia un lugar más positivo.

[CA Ram Melam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key learnings: We judge ourselves by our intentions but others by their actions.

[Šarūnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read his book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", so it was a great refresher of what's in the book.

- Look at nature and learn from it more - we need this miracle of nature to help us grow, change and learn from.
- We judge people and situations through our own lense, not anybody else's.
- Be proactive, not reactive.

[Lamis Akkad · Rating 4 out of 5]

very brief and full of ideas for contemplation. it was difficult to ponder as an audio book, perhaps a paperback or an ebook will serve its purpose better. very useful and enlightening. It is also rather compact, so it would do well to read the other books to understand the principles and points of view discussed.

[Noor Abu Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended I really enjoyed it.

[Demia Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet but life changing!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to listen to this book while going through some rough times because it inspired me to look at thing in a different way. If you are looking for some self-actualization motivation, I would strongly encourage you to listen to this book or pick up a copy to read. Since this book had a workbook portion to it, it may be better to read it than listen to it although I enjoyed the audio version very much. My husband and I both listened to it twice to absorb everything that the author was telling us. The running time for the audio version is one hour just to give you an idea of its length. It was a nice quick listen on our commutes to work.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, but a good one.

I would recommend reading the original book over this.

3.4/5

[Duke DeLaet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good review. Read 7 habits first.

[Samantha Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet but so insightful. This be likely be a re-read as needed.

[KaToiri Santi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A step by step approach into taking your life back into your own hands or at least living one that’s effective and sure to see results!!

[Ananth Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's sort of a summary of 7 habits

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"An Effective Life" is a self-help book that presents a collection of inspiring and insightful thoughts and philosophies from Dr. Stephen R. Covey, the bestselling author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

The book presents several key principles for living an effective and fulfilling life, including:

Living with Purpose: Define your purpose in life and align your actions with your values and beliefs.

Taking Responsibility: Take responsibility for your actions and be accountable for the outcomes.

Prioritizing Relationships: Invest in meaningful relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

Seeking Wisdom: Continuously seek knowledge and understanding to grow and improve.

Embracing Change: Embrace change and learn to adapt to new situations.

The book also provides practical tools and techniques for applying these principles in daily life, including setting goals, managing time effectively, and improving communication skills.

Overall, "An Effective Life" offers a thoughtful and inspiring approach to living a fulfilling and successful life. The book emphasizes the importance of living with purpose, taking responsibility, prioritizing relationships, seeking wisdom, and embracing change. It is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their personal and professional life and achieve greater fulfillment and success.

[Karen JEC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple read but quite thought-provoking in parts. I enjoyed the overall flow from one topic into the next, and there were quite a few tidbits and "aha!" moments that made me stop and think about the pages just a little bit longer than I normally would take. I expect that's the effect they were seeking, and I am grateful to participate.

Favourtie Quotes:

"A more effective life is not a more efficient life."

"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us."

"We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions."

"The more our values are in harmony with principles, the better decisions we will make... and the more inner peace we will have."

"Until we see ourselves from the outside objectively, we will automatically project our motives onto other people."

"There is no effectiveness without discipline and there is no discipline without character. And there is no character without first starting and asking questions."

[Arm Patsawut · Rating 4 out of 5]

เออ Stephen ไม่ใช่คนเขียนหนังสือ How-to เฉยๆ แต่เป็นนักปรัชญาจริงๆ หนังสืออ่านสั้นๆเร็วๆเล่มนี้พิสูจน์ไว้แล้ว เหมือนได้กับไปทบทวนหลักการใน 7 Habits อย่างเร็วๆ ซึ่งภาษาสวยงามลึกซึ้งเช่นเดิม ไปๆมาๆเล่มนี้ค่อนข้างพุทธ(แบบฝรั่งๆ) พูดเรื่องธรรมมะเลย คือชีวิตมันต้องเรียนรู้จากธรรมชาติที่อยู่ข้างนอกนั้น มีพูดเรื่องอนิจจังด้วย (เปรียบกับการทำสวน)พูดเรื่องเมตตากรุณา กับ Synergies พูดถึงความ Interdependent ของสรรพสิ่ง มองให้เห็นโยงใยของทุกอย่าง มีอีกส่วนที่ไม่พุทธ แต่ Existentialism มากๆคือ เราเป็นผลจากการตัดสินใจของเราเองต้องรับผิดชอบต่อมัน(ที่ไม่ใช่การโทษตัวเอง ที่จริงๆมันขัดกับที่ว่าอะไรๆมันโยงกันป่ะ? ถ้าพุทธคือมันไม่มี self ที่จะตัดสินแต่แรก)เข้าใจว่าต้องการสื่อให้เรา Proactive ทำในสิ่งที่ทำได้แก้ได้ ก่อนจะปิดท้ายด้วยเรื่องชีวิตคู่ว่า ส่วนใหญ่คนเลิกกันเพราะความต่าง ที่นี้เราจะบริหารและมองเห็นคุณค่าของความต่างนั้นยังไงต่างหาก..
..ดี อ่านไม่ถึงชม. แต่ก็ได้อะไรกับมาคิด แค่นี้การเป็นหนังสือก็บรรลุเป้าหมายของมันแล้ว...

[Randy Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has inspired millions. Today's generation will be newly inspired by Covey's An Effective Life, a new approach to practicing the motivating principles taught by one of the greatest teachers of all time. An Effective Life shares original new perspectives on life and self-evaluation, striking infographics, and inspirational quotes in a fresh new package designed for the generation early in their careers and for those long-time Covey admirers who seek to improve their work and personal lives based on principles. You'll also find a Personal Journal to help you process the insights you've gleaned from the book.
Everyone has or should have heard of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey is an inspiration and his teachers and principals have been adapted for schools and teenagers. An Effective Life carries this on and challenges one to be more mindful in their journal. A short and well worth read.

[Briana Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Effective Life by Stephen R. Covey

📚Overview: Stephen R. Coveys reflection after The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

👍Likes: Nice quotes, short and sweet.

👎Dislikes: So short that it does it does not go into any great detail.

🤓Recommend For: Read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People instead. An Effective Life is like a mini summary of this.

🤙Key Concepts:
☑️Immerse yourself in nature
1. Let nature teach you how to nurture relationships
2. Let nature guide your choices (how well do you adapt to change?)
3. Let nature help you celebrate diversity
4. Let nature teach you about natural laws (be more introspective)

💙Favourite Quotes:
💭 “There is no effectiveness without discipline and there is no discipline without character. And there is no character without first starting and asking questions.”
💭”The leader learns to learn from the challenges, failures, and problems of life to improve life.”
💭

[Anthony Lees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Up to 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'. If you've not read that, read it first. If you have, this is as enjoyable a read and in a similar tone all be it collaging some of his thoughts not shared in the first book. The focus here is squarely on the influence of the natural world in our decision making, relationship building, self-reflection and choices. He also warns about over reliance on our own perceptions and perspective and ways to avoid this. This is a short book, and in that way quick to digest. The content is as a compelling as ever, but beware you may feel you have found nothing new here, or just enjoyed the refresher. I was the later.

[Alexander Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these short books that Audible has available on their Netflix-style Audible Plus program.

They're more focused than a podcast. They're professionally recorded and written well. They're forced to get to the point quickly. They're easy to digest, so you can try genres you'd normally never try.

An Effective Life is another solid entry in this genre. My attention span is not fantastic when I listen to Audible books but I still got one major takeaway from this short read. It also made me want to go out and hike more. I doubt that's a bad thing :)

[Vansh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haiku is described by people as an imitation of nature. A minimalist poesy style to say something profound in as little words as possible. This book is a haiku. I’ve had a problem with Buddhism and adjacent religions for a long, long time due to their ‘life-rejecting’ approach yet this book has made me finally see, understand and appreciate letting go and having things simply be. Thank you Dr Covey, I’ll reflect on your writings.

[Nikki Deeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

7 Habits of Effective People is still on my to be read pile, however this was a very easy read and could be enjoyed without any other context. The concept of looking to nature for lessons is interesting and effective, especially in the context of change. I think there’s a lot of bite sized ideas that can be taken from this read and I would recommend it to others.

[Riska Purnama · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions."

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provided great analogies onto better handling and succeeding in the different aspects of life. The book is filled with quotable quotes. However the chapters weren’t well connected and the summary wasnt recapped in order either, which can be confusing for readers.

[Michelle Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and refreshing. Some good tidbits of advice here. I read this to get an idea of what to expect from "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", prior to reading. I’ve been convinced that picking up that title will be worthwhile.

[Κωνσταντίνος Λέκκας · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is a short reminder of what you learn in Steve’s most famous book ,the 7 habits of highly effective people . Honestly just read that book , this book was just made to get more money from you

[Matias Myllyrinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and lofty. A reminder on Covey’s defining work… so in some way tries to summarize the principles that were already defined. Not for the cynical but suspect will work for those who already loved the ideas get more out of this “directors cut” or rather summary.