How many on their deathbeds wished they'd spent more time at the office - or watching TV? The answer is, No one.
Stephen CoveyRead
The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Proactive individuals can control their impulses by aligning them with their values.
This quote emphasizes that a truly proactive person has the capacity to manage their immediate impulses and desires by anchoring their actions in their core values. It suggests that self-control and conscious decision-making are crucial for personal effectiveness and growth, allowing individuals to respond to situations thoughtfully rather than reactively.
Themes
ProactiveImpulseValuesSelf-ControlDecision-Making
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a leadership seminar to illustrate the importance of self-regulation.
More from Stephen Covey
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Listen with your eyes for feelings.
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If we live out of our memory, we're tied to the past and to that which is finite. When we live out of our imagination, _x000D_ we're tied to that which is infinite.
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Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.
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Keep in mind that you are always saying "no" to something. If it isn't to the apparent and urgent things in your life, it is probably to the most fundamental, highly important things.
Stephen CoveyRead
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