Being proactive requires you to take responsibility for your actions and their consequences, but it also empowers you to take hold of your life and make significant changes to your mindset and behavior. If you’re reactive, you let your habits and conditioning dictate how you respond to the people and circumstances around you if you’re proactive, you decide how you’ll respond to create the results you want. In every situation, you have the choice of being reactive or proactive. Habits 1-3 develop independence through “Private Victories.” This stage focuses on building your independence and laying the foundation for Habits 4-6 (“Public Victories”) and Habit 7 (Self-Renewal). This is not a quick-fix program that you work through once and move on, it’s an ongoing process of personal growth and change. You don’t need to perfect each habit before moving onto the next as you progress and grow, you will naturally continue to improve in all the previous habits. The 7 Habits are designed to build from the foundation up-or the inside out-to establish a mindset, habits, and skills that help you identify and achieve the things that are most important to you.
In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey provides an inside-out approach to improving yourself and your life by developing seven habits. Read on to learn about Covey’s three Private Victory habits: 1) be proactive, 2) start with the end in mind, and 3) prioritize the important over the urgent. What are “Private Victories”? What is the purpose of Stephen Covey’s first three habits?Ĭovey’s first three habits of highly effective people are collectively called “Private Victories.” These habits lay the foundation for “Public Victories” (habits four to six, which improve interactions with others) by strengthening your personal character and developing independence.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey.