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Why “Effective” Beats “Efficient” (Especially in the Long Run)

30 days of habit reflections and a reminder from Stephen R. Covey that doing the right thing matters more than doing it fast.

Author

Selim Uysal
May 30, 2025

Effective vs. Efficient (DailyHabits.blog)

Hi friend,

Today marks 30 days since I started writing about habits every single day.

That’s not just content, it’s consistency.

And consistency is the foundation of any habit worth keeping.

Over this month, one idea kept surfacing again and again:

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Are we being effective, or just efficient?

That question is at the heart of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Stephen R. Covey didn’t call his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People” or “…Productive People” for a reason.

He chose effective.

Why?

Because effectiveness is about doing what matters.

Efficiency is about doing things fast.

But speed is useless if you’re racing in the wrong direction.

💡 Efficiency is the realm of checklists.

Effectiveness is the realm of values.

  • It’s efficient to clear your inbox.

  • It’s effective to focus on the ONE task that truly moves your life or work forward.

  • It’s efficient to automate your to-do list.

  • It’s effective to ask: “Why am I doing this in the first place?”

Covey reminds us:

❝

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Stephen R. Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

And when it comes to human relationships, efficiency can be dangerous.

You can’t rush trust. You can’t speed up empathy.

Covey says, “With people, fast is slow and slow is fast.”

Being present, listening deeply, and investing time in others may seem inefficient, but they’re the most effective things you can do to build meaningful, lasting relationships.

So here’s my reflection after 30 days of writing:

✅ I could’ve focused on hacks, speed, and trendy tips.

But I chose to reflect deeply, write consistently, and share honestly.

Because building good habits isn’t about speed, it’s about direction.

It’s about aligning actions with purpose.

And that’s the difference between efficient and effective.

What about you?

Are you optimizing the wrong things?

Or are you building habits around what truly matters? (Reply to this email or comment below, I’d be glad to hear from you!)

📩 You can read all 30 posts at dailyhabits.blog

Thanks for being here. Here’s to another 30 days, done effectively.

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📬 Want to learn more about habits?

Go to dailyhabits.blog and get 100+ tips on how to start, break, and master habits that stick.

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Thanks for reading!

Selim

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