Have any of you read "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey?

It's really one of the better self-improvement type books I've read out on the market. Ok, ok, not that I've read that many. And yes, it's a little cheesy at times... but I think the principles are basically pretty sound and biblical (not meaning he uses Scripture, but that I think the Bible would affirm many of the foundational truths behind those principles. Also, please note that I believe Mr. Covey is a Mormon, hence he believes in God and Truth, but this work attempts to provide principles for a wide audience of both religious and secular types. It's not really trying to be a religious or spiritual book.)

Mr. Covey says that most of our effectiveness is hindered by attempting to change based on a Personality Ethic (that is, quick-fix behavior modification.) The analogy would be putting a band-aid on chronic pain. Rather, the key to real change is based on perseverance in the Character Ethic (that is, a paradigm shift or putting on a different pair of lens into how we see the world and things around us.) So, we should set the broken arm aright or understand the root of the chronic pain instead of trying to make these cosmetic changes or take some social aspirin.

Most of its premise is based on moving away from dependence (circumstances and other people dictate your life) to independence (you can do all things on your own) to the final stage of interdependence (working with others synergistically to create the greatest good.) He says you must grow in those successive stages... many people never get out of the first, others mistakenly believe the second is the best, while effective people know that the third stage is where greatest success takes place.

Moving from dependence to independence includes:

Habit #1: Be Proactive.
Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind.
Habit #3: Put First Things First.

Moving from independence to interdependence includes:

Habit #4: Think Win/Win
Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Habit #6: Synergize

Then the act of renewal:

Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw

I've only read through Habit #2, but I think it's pretty dead-on. You know, I think Pastor Keng has read this book b/c it sounds like a lot of the advice he's given me before! Now if only I could actually practice these things! Mr. Covey has perhaps not articulated an important assumption... that as sinful human things we can actually accomplish this on our own. Instead, he should just admit, Man this stuff is hard and it can only be done by our efforts propelled by the grace of God.