The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
I can’t say this book is the most inspiring book I have ever read, but it is definitely one that can help me get out of my currently dilemma. During the past few months, I think I have overworked too much that I simply couldn’t stop to think, write, read, or anything that is productive.
Then suddenly one day I waked up and found that I was so sick and tired of my life and even myself. At times I didn’t even want to wake up and see the morning
light. Morning ceased to be the most productive and refreshing moment for me, instead it only meant the start of another hassling day: Hustled to the subway station, pushed around by people, pleasing my nice or nasty clients, and then hustled back and didn’t feel like doing anything. The life was totally meaningless.
So when I found myself so dissatisfied with my life, I knew something went wrong
and needed fixing immediately. It was true I gained quite a lot of experience by helping foreign businessmen with their business both in Shanghai and other cities. But on the other hand, I had to ask myself what those experiences were for,
and if I really have the end in my mind when I proceeded to do those things.
Now looking back, I guess the answer was not. I had been too much consumed with
a desire to achieve things and get the immediate accomplishment feelings, whereas forgot to jump out of the circle to look at myself and my situation objectively. I empowered the environment and other people to manipulate my time and energy
, instead of letting myself direct my anchor. It was silly, and it was exactly the reason I was not happy and even feeling frustrated at times.
The other day while sitting at my laptop, I got a friend asking me on MSN if I was happy with my life. Then I realized that I really needed a rest and dug out the reason my life was so messed up. So I did. Stephen R. Covey’s this book helped me realize a lots things which I couldn’t envision before. At the moment I am only half way through his book, but I have already gained a lot. And they were
not something that can help fix your problems quickly, but do meagrely in the long run. They were not short-cuts, but something fundamental to success. With them in mind, you can strive as far as you can envision without feeling crippled or hindered.
The seven habits he mentioned in this book are: Be proactive; Begin with the end
in mind; Put first things first; Think win/win; See first to understand… then
to be understood; Synergize; and Sharpen the Saw. In the chapter “Be proactive”
, Stephen introduced his “P/PC Balance” principle which had a warning effect on me. P stands for production of desired results, and PC stands for production capability. He said if you over-pursue production results, the decision will eventually devastate your capability of production. Same with the opposite. And this
principle is basically valid and applicable anywhere.
Then in the chapter of “Begin the end in mind”, the writer introduced the difference between leadership and management. That’s also something I should learn
from. Long time before I had known one of my defects: the preference of immediate gratification. I would prefer getting instant satisfaction whenever I did things to thinking it from a long run. I had thought it as strength. Now from this book somewhat Stephen convinced me its defective aspect. I guess that is the strength of sensible reasoning. I got to see the bad side of immediate pursuit of gratification, consequential to his convincing reasoning.
My friend said that I needed a vision in order to proceed. I guess he was right.
I don’t want to be the carpenter who got so busy with cutting wood with his blunt saw that he couldn’t have time to sharpen his saw. It was ridiculous. Then
I have met plenty of people who were not content with their life, whereas reluctant to do anything about it. I don’t want to be that sort. Stephen said things
can be divided into three catalogues: things you can control directly, things you can control indirectly; and things you have no control. I don’t think my situation is something I don’t have control. Just really need to stop and think.
