The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Personal Effectiveness

Breni's personal effectiveness path teaches three books on doing the right work well. There are 3 courses: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and Getting Things Done by David Allen. Covey sets the principles, McKeown cuts the list down to what matters, and Allen adds a system to run it. Learners finish with a weekly plan built around important but not urgent work.

  • 3 courses
  • 30 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Sort tasks with Covey's urgent and important matrix
  • Focus on your circle of influence, not your circle of concern
  • Say no to good options to protect the vital few
  • Capture and clarify every open loop into next actions
  • Run a weekly review of your projects and lists

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Principles

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: Lead Yourself First

Apply Covey's seven habits, from private victory to public victory. Units, in order: Paradigms and the character ethic; Be proactive: the circle of influence; Begin with the end in mind; Put first things first: the time management matrix; Think win-win and seek first to understand; Synergise and sharpen the saw.

  • — Paradigms and Character Ethic
    Learn how inner character and personal mental maps shape your worldview.
    • Character versus Personality
    • Paradigms and Shifts
    • Stages of Maturity
  • — Proactivity and Influence
    Take responsibility for your life and focus on your circle of influence.
    • Being Proactive
    • Circle of Influence
  • — Begin With the End in Mind
    Visualize your future and create a clear personal mission statement.
    • End in Mind
    • Principle of Purpose
  • — Put First Things First
    Manage your time by focusing on what is truly important.
    • First Things First
    • Four Time Quadrants
  • — Win-Win and Deep Listening
    Seek mutual benefit in relationships and listen before you speak.
    • Think Win-Win
    • Seek to Understand
  • — Synergy and Sharpening the Saw
    Collaborate with others and renew your personal physical and mental energy.
    • Synergize
    • Sharpen the Saw

Part 2 · Priorities and systems

2. Essentialism by Greg McKeown: Do Less, Better

Choose the vital few priorities and protect them. Units, in order: The disciplined pursuit of less; Separating the vital few from the trivial many; Saying no gracefully; Making the essential easy to do; Why success can lead to doing too much.

  • — The Pursuit of Less
    Learn to stop trying to do everything and focus on what matters.
    • Doing less better
  • — Vital Few Priorities
    Separate the few important causes from the many trivial ones.
    • The 80 20 rule
  • — Saying No Gracefully
    Master the power of pushing back against nonessential requests.
    • Pushing back
  • — Making Things Easy
    Design your life to make essential tasks effortless to complete.
    • Effortless execution
  • — Avoiding Overwork
    Understand why early success tempts us to take on too much.
    • The trap of success

3. Getting Things Done by David Allen: Get It Out of Your Head

Run the five GTD steps to keep every commitment in a trusted system. Units, in order: Open loops and why your mind is for having ideas; Capture everything that has your attention; Clarify: next actions and the two-minute rule; Organise projects, lists and contexts; Reflect: the weekly review; Engage: choose what to do now.

  • — Open Loops and Your Mind
    Discover why your brain is for having ideas.
    • Open Loops
    • Mind Like Water
  • — Capture Your Attention
    Gather all things that demand your mental energy.
    • The Inbox
    • Capture Step
  • — Clarify What It Means
    Process your items and apply the two minute rule.
    • Is It Actionable?
    • Two Minute Rule
  • — Organise Projects and Lists
    Place reminders in the right lists and files.
    • Next Actions
    • Projects and Reference
  • — Reflect and Review
    Review your system regularly to regain control.
    • Weekly Review
    • Horizons of Focus
  • — Engage and Choose Tasks
    Select what to do with confidence and clarity.
    • Choose Your Task
    • Stress Free Work

Sample: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: Lead Yourself First

The opening tier, (Paradigms and Character Ethic). Learn how inner character and personal mental maps shape your worldview.

Character versus Personality

Understand deep character changes instead of quick personality tricks.

Paradigms and Shifts

Recognize how mental lenses change the way you see the world.

Stages of Maturity

Move from dependence to independence and finally to interdependence.

Questions about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Personal Effectiveness

What are the 7 habits of highly effective people?

Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand, synergise and sharpen the saw. The Breni course teaches each with a short exercise.

What is the circle of influence?

Covey separates what you worry about, your circle of concern, from what you can act on, your circle of influence. Proactive people put their energy into the second.

Do I need to read the books first?

No. Each course explains the book's ideas in plain language and links to the sources it was built from.

Is Breni affiliated with FranklinCovey or David Allen?

No. Breni is not affiliated with the authors, their companies or their publishers.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes, finishing all 3 courses earns a Breni certificate of completion.

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