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Mrs. Begley

Honors English 10

16 August 2016

My Private Victory

Do you think that changing your behavior and mindset would make a difference in your

life? What if you were given the tools to help you accomplish this? Well, Stephen Covey’s

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People “presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered

approach for solving personal and professional problems” (back cover). I believe that Covey

successfully accomplishes this by giving insight and pointers through his 7 Habits presented in

the book to guide the reader through personal problem-solving activities. One of Covey’s seven

principles from the book I find helpful and applicable to my life is found in Habit 2: “Begin

With The End In Mind” which deals with “Principles of Personal Leadership.” He relates his

principles clearly to the reader by involving the reader with writing A Personal Mission

Statement (106). Writing A Personal Mission Statement helped me recognized what I want to

focus on to begin with and helped me identify the end I hope to reach. Additionally, this process

helped me to take a look at who I am in relationship to my upbringing as part of a large family

and the effects of growing up in this culture has on me as a person. After reading Habit 2, I

learned how identifying what I want to accomplish in life will, in the end, enhance my personal

leadership skills and relationships with other people. Overall, the self-help book The 7 Habits of

Highly Effective People is a step by step “pathway” that helped me take a look at myself first so I

may be a better person with others. Renewing my physical, spiritual, mental, and

social/emotional assets through Covey’s 7 Habits has made me a better person inside and out.

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