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Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey Quotes

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Famous Stephen Covey Quotes

“People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose. There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me. The more principle-centered we become, the more we develop an abundance mentality, the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, achievements, recognition, and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to...rather than detracts from...our lives.”

PeopleIfsBelieveWellsMeanWinningTermLosesPrinciplesOur LivesAchievementAddFortuneRecognitionWell BeingAbundanceMentalityGood FortuneScarcityWinning LosingAbundance Mentality
Author:Stephen Covey
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“Look at the word responsibility-"response-ability"-the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling.”

PeopleLooksFeelingsValuesChoicesAbilityResponsibilityConditionsProductsCircumstancesBehaviorConsciousBlameResponseConditioningProactiveAbility To Choose
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“What one thing could you do in your personal and professional life that, if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous positive difference in your life? Quadrant II activities have that kind of impact. Our effectiveness takes quantum leaps when we do them.”

IfsKindDifferencesOne ThingActivityBasesImpactLeapQuantumEffectivenessProfessional LifeQuantum LeapPersonal And Professional Life
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.”

WayWritingPowerfulSawsInsightClarityOur ThoughtsJournalExactnessKeeping A Journal
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree. "What are you doing?" you ask. "Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree." "You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?" "Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work." 'Well, why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire. "I'm sure it would go a lot faster." "I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"”

MenWellsLooksLongHardActionAsksHoursBreakFiveSawsTreeMinutesHe ManHard WorkReturnBeatsBusyWoodsFasterExhaustedImpatientToo BusyDoing You
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“If you were to fault yourself in one of three areas, which would it be: (1) the inability to prioritize; (2) the inability or desire to organize around those priorities; or (3) the lack of discipline to execute around them? ... Most people say their main fault is a lack of discipline. On deeper thought, I believe that is not the case. The basic problem is that their priorities have not become deeply planted in their hearts and minds. They haven't really internalized Habit 2 [Begin with the end in mind].”

PeopleIfsInspirationalMindBelieveHeartEndsProblemDesireThreeI BelieveCasesHavensHabitDisciplineAreasFaultsDeeperPrioritiesOrganizeHeart And MindInabilityPrioritize
Author:Stephen Covey
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“The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focused on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.”

KnowsWayWantMindEndsPhilosophyCharacterValuesPrinciplesFocusAchievementMissionsFocusedWhat You WantStatementsContributionCreedsMission StatementPersonal MissionPersonal Mission Statement
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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“To ignore the unexpected (even if it were possible) would be to live without opportunity, spontaneity, and the rich moments of which "life" is made.”

IfsMadeMomentsWould BeLife IsOpportunityRichUnexpectedSpontaneity
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“Synergy is everywhere in nature. If you plant two plants close together, the roots commingle and improve the quality of the soil so that both plants will grow better than if they were separated. If you put two pieces of wood together, they will hold much more than the total weight held by each separately. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One plus one equals three or more.”

IfsTwoWholeTogetherThreeGrowsQualityGreaterPiecesRootsWeightPlantWoodsSoilPlusSynergy
Book:The Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey
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“Someone once inquired of a Far Eastern Zen master, who had a great serenity and peace about him no matter what pressures he faced, "How do you maintain that serenity and peace?" He replied, "I never leave my place of meditation." He meditated early in the morning and for the rest of the day, he carried the peace of those moments with him in his mind and heart.”

MindHeartMatterMomentsMorningMeditationMastersPressureNo Matter WhatSerenityEasternHeart And MindZen Master
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“A long, healthy, and happy life is the result of making contributions, of having meaningful projects that are personally exciting and contribute to and bless the lives of others.”

LifeLongLife IsResultsHealthyProjectsExcitingMeaningfulContributionBlessHappy LifeLives Of OthersHealthy And Happy
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“In effective personal leadership, visualization and affirmation techniques emerge naturally out of a foundation of well thought through purposes and principles that become the center of a person's life.”

LifeWellsPersonsPurposePrinciplesFoundationTechniqueAffirmationVisualizationPersonal Leadership
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change Interactive Edition
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“Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit, and do on increasingly higher planes. We deceive ourselves if we think that any one of these is sufficient. To keep progressing, we must learn, commit, and do-learn, commit, and do-and learn, commit, and do again.”

IfsThinkingMovingSinProgressHigherCommitPlanesSufficientDeceivingSpirals
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“Look at the weaknesses of others with compassion, not accusation. It's not what they're not doing or should be doing that's the issue. The issue is your own chosen response to the situation and what you should be doing. If you start to think the problem is "out there," stop yourself. That thought is the problem.”

IfsThinkingShouldLooksProblemCompassionSituationIssuesWeaknessResponseChosenAccusationInterpersonal Skills
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change Interactive Edition
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“I'm convinced that we can write and live our own scripts more than most people will acknowledge. I also know the price that must be paid. It's a real struggle to do it. It requires visualization and affirmation. It involves living a life of integrity, starting with making and keeping promises, until the whole human personality the senses, the thinking, the feeling, and the intuition are ultimately integrated and harmonized.”

PeopleThinkingKnowsWritingHumansRealWholeFeelingsGoalStrugglePersonalityIntegrityPromiseCommitmentPaidStartingScriptsIntuitionConvincedSensesAcknowledgeFree WillAffirmationSelf DevelopmentIntegratedVisualizationHuman PersonalityKeeping Promises
Author:Stephen Covey
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“The person who is truly effective has the humility and reverence to recognize his own perceptual limitations and to appreciate the rich resources available through interaction with the hearts and minds of other human beings.”

MindHumansHeartPersonsHuman BeingsRichHumilityResourcesAppreciateHumbleAvailableLimitationReverenceInteractionHeart And MindBe HumbleSeven Habits
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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“People who end up with the good jobs are the proactive ones who are solutions to problems, not problems themselves, who seize the initiative to do whatever is necessary to get the job done.”

PeopleEndsDoneProblemActionJobsSolutionsInitiativeGood JobProactiveSolution To A ProblemGet The Job Done
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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