The 7 habits of the highly effective people

Although we know that habits could affect our lives in many fields, we rarely consider it something essential of change. in “The 7 habits of the highly effective people” by Stephen R.Covey, we learn how to make habits the core of a better lifestyle. whether you want to develop your personal life, or you want to make better communications and relationships, “The 7 habits of the highly effective people” is the best guide to achieve that.

Habit 1: be proactive

Being proactive means more than taking initiative. It means we are responsible for our own lives. being proactive is the opposite of being reactive, it means you control your life, you can’t control the external events but you can choose your reaction to them, you don’t blame others of what you are, you take the full responsibility of your life and your destiny. it’s even reflected on the language you use; proactive people use phrases like:” I can choose a different approach; I control my own feelings; and I will.” while reactive people say something like “There’s nothing I can do; That’s just the way I am; I have to do that; and I can’t” And the difference is very obvious.

Habit 2: begin with the end in mind

To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. You need to know where you are going in order to better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. and that’s based on the principle that things are created twice, the first is mental creation, and the second is physical.

Create a personal mission statement: to begin with the end in mind requires clarity and credibility, and creating a personal mission statement. That fucoses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.

Habit 3: put first things first

Time Management Matrix

Time management matrix :source: soundview

Delegation: We accomplish everything we do through delegation either to time or to other people. If we delegate to time, we think efficiency. If we delegate to other people we think effectiveness.

Habit 4: Think win\win

Win/Win is not a technique; it’s a total philosophy an one of the six paradigms of human interaction. The other paradigms are: Win/Lose, Lose/Win, Lose/Lose, Win, and Win/Win or No Deal.

• Win/Win. — This is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. It’s not your way or my way; it’s a better way, a higher way. • Win/Lose. In leadership style, it is the authoritarian approach: “I get my way, you don’t get yours.” • Lose/Win. This is worse than Win/Lose because it has no standards, no demands, no vision. In leadership, it’s permissiveness or indulgence, being a nice guy, even if “nice guys finish last.” • Lose/Lose. When two Win/Lose people get together, the result is Lose/Lose. Both will become vindictive and want to get back at each other. • Win. People with this mentality don’t necessarily want someone else to lose. What matters most is that they get what they want. • Win/Win or No Deal. If we can’t find a solution that benefits us both, we agree to disagree agreeably.

Which one is the best option

Most situations are part of an interdependent reality, and then Win/Win is the only viable alternative of the five. Think of Win/Win as the bait of interpersonal leadership. Character is the foundation of Win/Win. There are three character traits essential to the Win/Win paradigm: • Integrity — the value you place on yourself. • Maturity — the balance between courage and consideration. • Abundance mentality — there is plenty out there for everyone.

Habit 5: seek first to understand then to be understood

We typically seek first to be understood. Instead, most people listen to the reply. They’re either speaking or preparing to speak.

As you learn to listen deeply to other people, you will discover tremendous differences in perception. You will also begin to appreciate the impact these differences can have as people try to work together in interdependent situations.

Habit 6: Synergize

synergy is the highest activity in all life — the true test and manifestation of all the other habits put together. It means that the relationship the parts have to one another is a part in and of itself. And it is not only a part, but the most catalytic and most empowering

Synergy means that 1+1 may equal 8, 16 or even 1,600. The synergistic position of high trust produces solutions better than any originally proposed, and all parties know it.

Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

Essentially Habit 7 is preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have — you. It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature: physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional.

1-Physical — exercise, nutrition, stress management.

2- Spiritual — value clarification and commitment, study and meditation.

3-Mental — reading, visualizing, planning, writing.

4- Social/emotional — service, empathy, synergy, intrinsic security.

By centering our lives on correct principles and creating a balanced focus between doing and increasing our ability to do, we become empowered in the task of creating effective, useful and peaceful lives for ourselves, and for our posterity.