Stephen R.Covey is the author of the the book "The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People". This book puts forward a principle-centered approach to both personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Rather than focusing on altering the outward manifestations of your behavior and attitudes, it aims to adapt your inner core, character, and motives.
The seven habits (be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first; think win/win; seek first to understand, then to be understood; synergize; and sharpen the saw) have helped many people focus on what's most important to them.
The summary of lessons learned from this book are as follows:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Proactive meaning creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.
synonyms: enterprising, take-charge, energetic, driven, bold, dynamic, motivated, go-ahead.
Stephen Covey refers to proactivity as simply taking responsibility for your life.
Those who think proactively tend to focus their efforts on what they can do something about. They think in terms of, “I can”, “I will”, “I prefer”.
Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind
According to this view, the ultimate purpose of life is to find joy, contentment, and satisfaction in one's pursuits and relationships. This might involve building close connections with loved ones, pursuing activities and hobbies that bring happiness, and working towards goals that bring a sense of fulfillment.
What is your end goal and what can you do to reach it?
Build a Personal Mission Statement to help you keep on track.
Having a mission statement is something that can help you focus on your goals and what you can do to meet them.A personal mission statement is a statement that defines your values, who you are on how you define success. A personal mission statement can be used to guide your decisions and help you stay focused to meet your long-term goals.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Prioritize.
The meaning of Prioritize:
to arrange or do in order of priority: learning to prioritize our assignments, to give a high priority to.
Covey states, “Putting first things first means living and being driven by the principles you value most, not by the agendas and forces surrounding you.”
It allows us to access a more balanced life.
Habit 3 Summary
Put First Things First, is about learning how to prioritize and manage your time so that your first things come first, not last. Habit 3 is the habit of will-power (the strength to say yes to your most important things) and won't power (the strength to say no to less important things and to peer pressure).
Habit 4 Win Win situation
A win-win situation or result is one that is good for everyone who is involved.
Putting your attention less on competition and more on collaboration.
When you take the time to look at what benefits both parties, it shows respect, maturity, integrity, and confidence. It can positively affect your character and improve relationships.
A win-win situation is a resolution to a negotiation where both parties benefit from the outcome. This usually results in both parties voluntarily accepting the proposed solution.
Habit 4 Summary
A win-win situation helps to develop humility in you. If you rely on others for your success, it creates a sense of humility that enables you to find a mutual benefit situation. Win-win satisfies both parties because they believe neither of them is a winner nor a loser.
Habit 5: Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply,” Stephen Covey. Even though you might have a lot to say, sometimes it's best not to respond. In silence, without distractions, that's when people feel respected and appreciated.
Communication, specifically listening, is the basis for this habit.
Do not listen with the intent to reply, listen to understand.
Doing this is another great way to improving the relationship.
Habit 6: Synergize
Synergy refers to teamwork.
The meaning of to synergize is to combine or work together in order to be more effective, or to make things or people do this.
Take the time to truly accept the other person’s differences. Then use that understanding to feed off of each other and gain new insight into your situation.
Next time you’re in a difficult situation, try out the path to synergy.
Habit 7: Sharpen The Saw
Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have—you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life.
Focus on the most important thing you have. When you ‘sharpen the saw’, you are taking the time you need for self-renewal.
Examples of active breaks – sharpening the saw during an active break:
Moderate exercise, stretch or yoga.
Walking up and down the stairs in your office a few times.
Taking ten deep breaths and practicing proper breathing.
Learning something new from somebody.
Reading, reading, reading.
Doing brain exercises.
BOOK:The 7 habits of highly effective people
Author Stephen R Covey
https://amzn.to/3HY2g5O
Information compiled by:
Dr. Bhairavsinh Raol
