Paradigm And Factors By Stephen Covey

This is a remarkable book written about personal change & human conditions by Stephen Covey. In this first part, he writes about Paradigm & Principles, illustrating that irrespective of achieving degrees success in life, many of the individuals have deep hunger of personal effectiveness for healthy, growing relationships with other people.

He wants to teach through different his own experiences in life. He tried to solve the academic problems of one of his sons with positive mental attitude technique, boosting his morale that he can do very thing. But he realized that his perceptions are inadequate; his working efforts to change his son’s attitude & behaviour are ineffective. He realized that he has to change his perceptions first before to

Our character is composite of habits. It is the gravity pull which on one side breaks deeply embedded habitual tendencies & new dimensions in life is achieved & on other side also creates cohesiveness to develop ‘Effectiveness’ in our lives. It is an upward process to break through to new levels of personal & interpersonal effectiveness. The Maturity Continuum ia progressive process from dependence to independence & then to interdependence. For example, our life from infancy to adulthood. Some habits deals with self mastery. They move a person from dependence to independence. They are called “Private Victories”. “Public Victories” nurture teamwork, cooperation &

Habit 3.Put First Things First:

It is practical fulfillment of habit 1(to be proactive) & habit 2(Begin with End in Mind).Proactivity says that we are the creators while habit 2 “Begin with end in mind” is first or mental creation; based on imagination i.e. ability to envision or to see the potential & conscience i.e. ability to detect our own uniqueness.

While “Put first things first” concept is based in second creation/physical creation. It is an exercise of independent will towards becoming principle-centered.

It is a practice of effective self-management. Management is analysis, sequencing, the specific application; time bound left brain aspect of effective self government. Maxim is to manage from the left; lead from the right.

The fourth human endowment “the independent will” makes the effective self management possible. It is an ability to make decisions & choices & the to act in accordance with them to proactively carrying our the programme.

Degree to which independent will is developed is measured by personal integrity (ability to make & help commitments to ourselves). Leadership decides what the “first things are” while effective management “puts the first things