Inside-Out Again

In this final chapter Covey talks a lot about the gap between stimulus and response. I had never really thought about this gap before, but I found it really interesting. Since there is a gap between stimulus and response everyone is able to choose their response, it's not an automatic decision. By working on ourselves and our relationships with others from the inside-out we are able to come up with more proactive responses and these proactive responses can lead to a synergy in the outcome.

Looking at this book as a whole I think Covey made a lot of good points. Occasionally I thought his examples were a little extreme, but he made up for these with several very strong stories. Several of the habits seem like common sense (put first things first, think win/win) but people do not always practice them. It is easy to get caught up in life and not focus on our relationship with ourselves and other people, which is one of the most important aspects of life.

Habit 7 Sharpen the Saw

This chapter was almost a summary of all the rest because I felt like this habit combined all the others. Sharpening the saw is about improving yourself in four dimensions. Covey says these dimensions are highly interrelated, so improvement in one area leads to improvement in the others and I agree. For example, I will have weeks when I am proactive about working out (physical) and these are the weeks when I am best able to stay on top of my homework (mental). Because I am able to stay on top of my homework I have more time to spend with my friends (social/emotional).

The section about scripting others is applicable anytime in life, but I found it to be especially relevant to the Army. Eventually we will be leaders in the Army and in positions to influence our troops. If we are positive social mirrors others around will notice and hopefully develop their full potential.