If your readers have not read 7 Habits, they should...
Dog -> Meat -> Salivate
Values Based.
They'll get it after they read it.
Justin Kownacki
· 3 years ago
Good advice.
Q: What happens when what matters most to you isn't paying the bills?
(A: Find a way to merge the two, I think.)
Michael Bailey
· 3 years ago
Thanks CBro - somehow I think that I already knew all of that, live my life that way, etc. but it is certainly good to gleen some kind of confirmation from reading it again.
Justin, within your answer lies another paradox - how does one find the way which merges the two?
A few months ago someone told me that you need to kiss a bunch of frogs before you find the right one.
In that quest to find the right person(s) who could facilitate the merger of what matters to you most and paying the bills the true test of your passion will take place.
The only thing that I can say for sure is that giving up the quest only guarantees that nothing will ever happen.
Of all of the biographies of successful people that I have read, the stories are very similar in that they never gave up and finally things turned around.
I only hope that I'm almost finished living through the first chapter of my own biography.
Whitney
· 3 years ago
It takes a long time learning lessons before you believe them, and then act on them and make them part of your life. I am a firm believer that we should all discover our strengths (whether you believe in the positive psychology movement a la Don Clifton and Marcus Buckingham or not) and then once you know them, it becomes easier to implement them. Now that I have my strengths articulated to myself, it becomes so much easier to use them in day to day life. Doing the things we're good at and that matter to us- that give us that rush we get from "cognitive activation"- when our brains are running at 60 mph or higher with no signs of slowing down, ideas spinning off the flywheel.... This is what makes life fun. Doing things that make us feel like we are drowning in frustration, bureaucracy, or other non-productive situations are the ones that cause burn-out. Burn-out is hitting your head against a brick wall going no where, not working "too hard" or "too long"- When we do the things we're good at, it doesn;t really feel like work! Finding your center can be tricky, and finding balance equally so. Sometimes it requires recognizing that in the short run,things may be crazy for long term gains. The only other trick is the locus of control- what can you outsource? We need to have people we trust in our lives, (work and home) and be willing to ask for help, while giving the people we trust the opportunity to help us, without keeping a hold over all the petty details. Micromanaging is not the same thing as quality control- many a housewife has screwed herself out of help from her husband by insisting he "can't do it right..." and many a workplace is unproductive because the boss just can't seem to trust the loyal people working for him, and they gradually lose their loyalty and respect for the boss.... bad news for everyone involved. So the best advice I can give on these life topics is to trust others, ask for help, and give help generously- do unto others, really. Along with a general WYSIWYG policy, works for me.
Michael Sampson
· 3 years ago
Thanks for sharing Chris. This is important / vital stuff.
julien
· 3 years ago
hey dude, this was awesome. just so you know, you inspired me to put the 7 habits audiobook back on to my ipod tonight and go out and listen to it for a while. awesome. follow up on this post!
Barbara
· 3 years ago
The most useful thing for me from Covey was to understand what is urgent as opposed to what is important.
Carman
· 3 years ago
Excellent post. The 7 Habits is one of my favorite books to give away and re-purchase, and julien's post reminded me that I did listen to the audiobook at one point as well.
Michael, regarding your post: a friend of mine once picked up my copy of The 7 Habits and made a similar observation--that it was common sense. When I thought to argue, I realized that he was right, and I think that's exactly why it's been the quintessential "self-help" book for years. It's common sense. And in this world, common sense is good to review from time to time.
While I'm commenting, I'd like to plug another common sense "self-help" book that I've reviewed from time to time, sometimes off the wagon: Body for Life by Bill Phillips (bodyforlife.com). Someone at PodCamp asked me about lifting, and this book would contain my answer to any workout question.
All Comments
Dog -> Meat -> Salivate
Values Based.
They'll get it after they read it.
Q: What happens when what matters most to you isn't paying the bills?
(A: Find a way to merge the two, I think.)
Justin, within your answer lies another paradox - how does one find the way which merges the two?
A few months ago someone told me that you need to kiss a bunch of frogs before you find the right one.
In that quest to find the right person(s) who could facilitate the merger of what matters to you most and paying the bills the true test of your passion will take place.
The only thing that I can say for sure is that giving up the quest only guarantees that nothing will ever happen.
Of all of the biographies of successful people that I have read, the stories are very similar in that they never gave up and finally things turned around.
I only hope that I'm almost finished living through the first chapter of my own biography.
I am a firm believer that we should all discover our strengths (whether you believe in the positive psychology movement a la Don Clifton and Marcus Buckingham or not) and then once you know them, it becomes easier to implement them. Now that I have my strengths articulated to myself, it becomes so much easier to use them in day to day life. Doing the things we're good at and that matter to us- that give us that rush we get from "cognitive activation"- when our brains are running at 60 mph or higher with no signs of slowing down, ideas spinning off the flywheel.... This is what makes life fun. Doing things that make us feel like we are drowning in frustration, bureaucracy, or other non-productive situations are the ones that cause burn-out. Burn-out is hitting your head against a brick wall going no where, not working "too hard" or "too long"- When we do the things we're good at, it doesn;t really feel like work!
Finding your center can be tricky, and finding balance equally so. Sometimes it requires recognizing that in the short run,things may be crazy for long term gains.
The only other trick is the locus of control- what can you outsource? We need to have people we trust in our lives, (work and home) and be willing to ask for help, while giving the people we trust the opportunity to help us, without keeping a hold over all the petty details. Micromanaging is not the same thing as quality control- many a housewife has screwed herself out of help from her husband by insisting he "can't do it right..." and many a workplace is unproductive because the boss just can't seem to trust the loyal people working for him, and they gradually lose their loyalty and respect for the boss.... bad news for everyone involved.
So the best advice I can give on these life topics is to trust others, ask for help, and give help generously- do unto others, really. Along with a general WYSIWYG policy, works for me.
Michael, regarding your post: a friend of mine once picked up my copy of The 7 Habits and made a similar observation--that it was common sense. When I thought to argue, I realized that he was right, and I think that's exactly why it's been the quintessential "self-help" book for years. It's common sense. And in this world, common sense is good to review from time to time.
While I'm commenting, I'd like to plug another common sense "self-help" book that I've reviewed from time to time, sometimes off the wagon: Body for Life by Bill Phillips (bodyforlife.com). Someone at PodCamp asked me about lifting, and this book would contain my answer to any workout question.