Sean Covey Quotes

Powerful Sean Covey for Daily Growth

About Sean Covey

Sean Covey is an acclaimed American author, speaker, and businessman, best known for his inspirational books on personal development and leadership. Born on June 6, 1970, in Provo, Utah, USA, Covey was the youngest son of Stephen R. Covey, a renowned philosopher and author, famous for his book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Growing up with such an influential father, Sean absorbed the wisdom and values that would later shape his life and work. Sean earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in organizational management from The George Washington University. In 1998, he co-founded FranklinCovey Student Leadership to teach leadership principles to students worldwide. In 2004, Covey published his first book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens," which quickly became a New York Times bestseller. This book adapts the principles from his father's seminal work for a younger audience, helping teenagers navigate challenges and develop essential life skills. Two years later, he released "Snap Decision: Making the Right Choice in the blink of an Eye," a book that delves into decision-making, urging readers to make quick but smart choices based on values and principles. In 2010, he published "The 7 Habits of Happy Kids," which teaches young children essential life lessons. Covey's works are marked by their simplicity, accessibility, and profound insights. His books have inspired millions worldwide, helping individuals, especially the younger generation, to lead more effective, happy, and fulfilling lives. In addition to his writing, Covey is an active speaker at schools, corporations, and conferences around the world, sharing his insights on leadership, decision-making, and personal development.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Begin with the end in mind."

The quote "Begin with the end in mind" by Sean Covey encourages one to envision the desired outcome or goal before embarking on a task or project. This approach fosters clarity, focus, and intentionality in decision-making, ensuring that every action taken is aligned with the ultimate aim. It serves as a powerful reminder to have a clear vision of the end result, which can then guide our actions throughout the process.

"The key is not seeing life as it is, but seeing it as what it could be."

This quote encourages us to approach life with optimism and a growth mindset. Rather than accepting things as they are, we should strive to envision their potential for improvement or transformation. It's about looking beyond the current state of circumstances and seeing the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead, fostering personal development, innovation, and resilience in the face of challenges.

"Make your life a mission - not an intermission."

This quote by Sean Covey encourages individuals to dedicate their lives to a meaningful purpose, rather than treating it as a temporary break or pause between other activities. It suggests that one should strive for a fulfilling, impactful life journey, rather than just passing time idly. In essence, this quote inspires people to actively engage in pursuing their goals and dreams, turning their lives into an ongoing adventure, rather than viewing it as a series of stops or breaks.

"Choose the right thing instead of the easy thing."

This quote emphasizes the importance of making morally sound decisions over taking the path of least resistance, even when it's challenging. It encourages individuals to prioritize integrity, responsibility, and personal growth over immediate comfort or convenience. Making such choices fosters self-respect, builds character, and ultimately leads to a more fulfilling life.

"If you want to live, live now. Delaying life can be a lethal choice."

This quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment rather than postponing one's dreams or goals for an indefinite future. The message is that procrastination and delaying life decisions, especially those related to personal growth and fulfillment, can be detrimental and even lead to missed opportunities or wasted time. It encourages us to seize the day, embrace experiences, and pursue our aspirations without unnecessary delays.

Stop being a critic and be a light; don't be a judge, be a model. I think we are far too critical. I think the best way to correct behavior is to accentuate and affirm positive behavior and to ignore negative behavior. Generally speaking, there is a time to correct, of course; but my biggest advice would be, 'Affirm your child.'

- Sean Covey

Your Child, Best Way, Critic

You shouldn't feel guilty about taking time for yourself. Every so often, everyone needs to give themselves a big ol' bear hug and treat themselves to some TLC.

- Sean Covey

Big, Give, Needs, Taking Time

Don't struggle about the struggle. In other words, life's full of ups and downs. So if you're struggling, don't worry, everyone else has or will at some point.

- Sean Covey

Worry, Some, Other, In Other Words

You should see my baby pictures. My cheeks hung off my face like water balloons. You can imagine how often I was teased.

- Sean Covey

Like, Balloons, Imagine, Hung

Ask any successful person, and most will tell you that they had a person who believed in them... a teacher, a friend, a parent, a guardian, a sister, a grandmother. It only takes one person, and it doesn't really matter who it is.

- Sean Covey

Parent, Tell, Had, Believed

Paradigms are like glasses. When you have incomplete paradigms about yourself or life in general, it's like wearing glasses with the wrong prescription. That lens affects how you see everything else.

- Sean Covey

Like, Wearing, About, Incomplete

Some of the more popular life-centers for teens include Friends, Stuff, Enemies, Self, and Work. They each have their good points, but they are all incomplete in one way or another, and they'll mess you up if you center your life on any one of them to the exclusion of the others.

- Sean Covey

Some, Another, Exclusion, Incomplete

That's important, apologizing, listening, you know, I think the teens I speak with, most of them don't feel understood. They feel like they're being lectured to all the time.

- Sean Covey

Listening, Think, I Think, Understood

The average teen today spends about 35 hours a week in front of a screen of some kind: iPod, movie, TV, video. And a lot of it is good, but a lot of it's not. And so I think you've got that five hours a day of media coming into your kid's head that's creating a lot of havoc out there.

- Sean Covey

Average, Some, TV, Havoc

Although I'm a retired teenager, I remember what it was like to be one. I could have sworn I was riding an emotional roller coaster most of the time. Looking back, I'm actually amazed that I survived. Barely.

- Sean Covey

Looking Back, I Remember, Roller

One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is to help them find their talents.

- Sean Covey

Parent, Give, Greatest Gifts, Talents

Having the courage to say no when all your friends are saying yes is one of the most difficult things you'll ever have to do. Doing it, however, is one of the biggest charges you can ever make to your personal battery. I call this 'won't power.'

- Sean Covey

Doing, However, Your, Battery

Saying 'yes' to one thing means saying 'no' to another. That's why decisions can be hard sometimes.

- Sean Covey

Yes, Another, Means, Decisions

You are free to choose what you want to make of your life. It's called free agency or free will, and it's your birthright.

- Sean Covey

Will, Free Agency, Agency, Birthright

My dad is a good role model for me, and then I had a high school coach that really helped me out when I was struggling and made a big difference in my life.

- Sean Covey

My Life, Big, Role, Struggling

Ultimately, you choose to be happy or miserable. The reality is that although you are free to choose, you can't choose the consequences of your choices. They're preloaded. It's a package deal.

- Sean Covey

Miserable, Deal, Package, Consequences

Seeing things from a different point of view can help us understand why other people act the way they do. We too often judge people without having all the facts.

- Sean Covey

Point Of View, Other, Having, All The Facts

My focus has kind of been on teenagers, you know, and I think we've got a huge crisis right now in America, among our teens.

- Sean Covey

Think, Been, I Think, Teenagers

Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do.

- Sean Covey

Habits, Either, Repeatedly, Depending

I think the greatest challenge between child and parent is communication.

- Sean Covey

Challenge, Think, I Think, Parent

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.