Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners

How Seven Habits Change Lives

Today I enjoyed a magnificent visit with my wife, Carole. She came with a message that Dean, a representative of the group who promotes Stephen Covey’s work, contacted us through PrisonNewsBlog. Dean asked some questions about how the magnificent book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People influenced my adjustment through 22 years of imprisonment. […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article Seven

Prisoners Should Embrace Accountability Highly successful prisoners see themselves as a part of the broader community. Prison boundaries may separate them from daily interactions, but their sense of connectivity never wavers. To the prisoner focused on emerging successfully, nurturing that connection drives his every action and thought. An essential component of that plan requires that […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article Six

Prisoners Should Synergize By practicing each of the seven habits of highly successful prisoners, remarkable goals can be achieved. When prisoners apply the strategies consistently and deliberately over time, however, a synergy ensues. Synergy creates conditions that make the total effect greater than the sum of the individual effects. When people in prison launch proactive […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article Five

Prisoners Should Think Win-Win Prisoners who succeed on a high level commit to adjustment patterns that bring victory to all parties. Success necessitates a focus on much more than the prisoner himself. Successful adjustments require the individual to enhance the lives of others, not just his own life. Too many prisoners serve their sentences without […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article Four

Prisoners Should Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood Prisons differ from other communities in America. Those of us who live inside the boundaries must contend with administrative rules and policies that frequently seem ridiculous. We, as prisoners, do not see the logic in restrictions that preclude us from nurturing family and community ties […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article Three

Prisoners Should Put First Things First Once prisoners understand how to begin with the end in mind, they can advance to the next stage of a successful adjustment pattern through prison. That strategy requires prisoners to put first things first. It means developing a timeline from which they can measure their progress. For example, if […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article Two

Prisoners Should Adjust with the End in Mind Prisoners sentenced to serve one year or 25 years share at least one eventuality in common. Both have scheduled release dates. As such, they can both begin serving their sentences with the end in mind. Those prisoners who envision how they want to emerge can chart a […]

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Prisoners–Article One

Prisoners Should Embrace Proactive Adjustment Patterns Prisoners should not allow the obstructions of confinement to block them from preparations they had to make to succeed upon release. During the 21-plus years that I’ve served in prisons of every security level, I’ve listened to numerous prisoners complain about the lack of opportunities to add value to […]