[mmsmatt]

I'll try to provide a secular account here ;)

The principles are obvious, and Covey states this in his appendix of the Kindle edition. He claims credit only for packaging them in an accessible way.

7 Habits was effective for me because I answered the questions it posed throughout the text. The book presented a self-evident principle, such as "Put First Things First", then forced me to consider a dozen ways I could implement it. Then, all the positive effects those implementations would bring. I would try to put one of these ideas into practice each day I read. Repeat for 6 more principles.

I put in a good deal of effort and got out a framework that slowly increased my output at work, my understanding at home, and my patience under stress.

No road to Damascus here, just compounding interest over the months since I finished the book. I recommend it based on that.