Oh, how I heart Stephen R. Covey! It’s not that I think he’s a particularly good writer (I find the prose of most self-development books to be pretty mediocre). It’s just that his ideas are so good!

As I’ve said over and over, I read the first three habits several years ago and have been trying to implement them ever since. The “Put first things first” habit of effective personal organization and time management is something I’ve been practicing a lot. I love it so much I’ve even presented workshops on some of these ideas.

First, I think the four quadrants are absolutely revolutionary. It’s so easy to see that

Oh, how I love the idea of starting with the end in mind! This principle has truly revolutionized my life since I first read this chapter seven or so years ago. (As a side note, I only read the first three habits long ago, which all help one move toward independence. Maybe now I’ll be ready for the last four habits and can move toward interdependence!).

For better and worse, I have integrated this idea deep into my very being. When I plan something, I habitually start with the end vision first, whether it’s a birthday party, a wedding, an online course, or my life. Even

I’m so glad we have this little book club going on! It helps hold me accountable for actually reading the book. But that’s part of the problem, right? The goal is to be internally motivated and to follow-through with the promises I make to myself. Hmph!

I loved Covey’s point about keeping promises to ourselves and others as an essential component of living a life of integrity and proactivity. I think I do pretty well on that front, but there’s definitely room for improvement. When we trust that we will follow-through on the goals we set for ourselves, then we feel more in control of our lives. We feel like