Eliminate your bad habits and you are automatically better. Trying to meet Covey's exalted standards on the other hand is always liable to end in disappointment and disillusion. The first habit of ineffective people is that they are reactive rather than proactive. You walk through the office door every morning and your in-tray is filled with things that need sorting out today. You receive 25 e-mails demanding an explanation as to why you didn't finish what you were sorting out yesterday.
Ineffective people are firefighters.
This habit can be easily cured. Simply, put your feet up and gaze out of the window. When you are asked why you're not putting the fire out on the fifth floor, explain that you are taking a more strategic view. Becoming a Strategic Firefighter is a new job title and a beginning. Start by imagining where the fires are going to break out tomorrow.