Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
We’ve talked about all sorts of bad habits we should avoid to further improve our lives. But what about the good ones? Luckily, Stephen Covey wrote a really awesome book known as the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
The book’s definitely a fantastic read, and I suggest you check it out! But if your day’s a little too busy to read several chapters’ worth of pages, then this snippet should help you out. If you want to replace those bad habits with really important ones, look no further than these 7 that Stephen pointed out.
1. Be Proactive
We’re in control, and we have a say on which choices we pick in life. So long as you’re self-aware, you should be able to train yourself to become proactive and own the decisions you make. People are creatures of reason and character, and that means being able to make conscious choices that are best for whatever circumstance we face.
There are a boatload of things that we can’t take control of. We can’t control how other people feel or what others think, and we can’t control phenomena that naturally occur every now and then. Instead of feeling frustrated and passing an event off as a bad experience, try to control how YOU react to the situation. You’re in control of your feelings!
2. Begin With the End in Mind
Just to cameo quote Sun Tzu, “Every battle is won before it’s ever fought.” One of his popular passages talks about how those who prepare well before battle are the ones who come out on top. What does this also mean? Have CLARITY! Whenever you work on something, make sure that you have the end result on your mind.
No matter which point you choose to start from, just be sure that you have a clear destination. As long as you do that, you’ll be able to check on yourself and figure out if what you’re doing contributes to getting you where you want to be.
3. Put First Things First
After you’re done gaining clarity and figuring out exactly what you want to achieve, it’s time to organize your daily routine and arrange your calendar to prioritize the most important items on your list. Find your values, and act on them rather than acting out of impulse and desire.
There will be moments when we fall out of momentum and give in to the little pleasures that we crave, and that’s totally fine! Just don’t let it happen too often, and always try your best to avoid distractions when you’re in the middle of an activity that builds on your goals.
4. Think Win-Win
This habit is all about our connection with the people around us, and how we consider others when we make decisions. Whenever two or more people negotiate over anything, it’s a “Win-win” mindset for one or both sides to agree on something that mutually benefits them.
It’s a little challenging at first (especially if you’re used to the usual win-lose mentality,) but the win-win mindset will eventually help build rapport with others and develop interpersonal relationships in the long run. There’s no such thing as a one-way relationship!
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.
The 5th habit on the list talks about empathy. It’s best to work towards thoroughly understanding a person and seeing things from their point of view before trying to give them good advice or answers. If you don’t know the kind of person you’re talking to, how will you be able to figure out what’s best for them?
Every person is unique, and we each have our own challenges to overcome. Just because a solution you came up with worked on yourself doesn’t mean that it’ll be just as effective for other people. Before trying to throw your ideas at someone, listen to them first.
6. Synergize
Because no two people are exactly the same, synergy doesn’t really mean thinking or working the same way. It actually means being able to understand the differences in another person’s point of view! When you reach the same wavelength with another person, you’ll be able to work together in your own way, but in a manner that builds you up together.
Whenever you synergize, you both progress at a faster rate together than you would on your own. Throughout your relationship with particular people, you’ll also be able to find value and see many things in a new light. Not only will it help you understand others, but also widen your own perspective.
7. Sharpen the Saw
The 7th habit focuses on YOU. To maximize yourself, you have to exert effort and time into renewing yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. Cover all bases and further develop yourself every single day! When we renew ourselves, it becomes easier to practice all of our good habits.
It’s all about growth. When you think about the 7th habit, think of how you can further grow and improve yourself in every way. Want physical improvement? Work out! Do you want a stronger mind? Do a lot of reading! If you think you need to improve your social side and spiritual side, help others and meditate every morning!
By the time you get used to applying these 7 habits in your life, you’d reach a whole new level of effectivity and productivity. Stephen Covey definitely teaches us that sometimes it’s not all about changing our career path or our schedule. Sometimes, all we need to do is look inward and change what’s inside.
If you liked reading about these 7 habits, you can grab yourself a copy of Stephen Covey’s book HERE! You can also follow me on Instagram @sagishrieber and join the Commit First club on WhatsApp if you want to share your ideas and insights with other like-minded people!