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Last Updated on 2015-01-02 by Kassandra
Seems like it should be common sense … But even if it is common sense, is it common action?
I have been involved in personal development for many years, and it actually apparently began with a previous manager.
In some form or another, my previous employers wanted me to excel and some of them had me focus on things outside of technical skills. One of these wonderful people introduced me to Stephen Covey’s book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (25th Anniversary Edition) … It’s absolutely wonderful, and I believe absolutely everyone should read it!
But I was reminded of this book today by a tweet from this cool cat >>>>>> 
<<<<< @DavidKatzEO
>>>> Here’s the TWEET! <<<<
And here’s my breakdown of:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
If you aren’t constantly looking for ways to improve or eliminate waste, then you are already dying.
If you’re not proactive, then you may miss opportunities to prosper – either because you waited too long or someone beat you to the punch first.
If you’re proactive, you’re keeping your mind open to new opportunities!
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
What you focus on expands! If you begin with the end in mind, you’ll know where you need to put your focus on and because it IS your focus, your brain will want to grow more and figure things out in such a way as to achieve that outcome!
Habit 3: Put First Things First
“Eat that Frog!” as Brian Tracy would say from his book. Basically do what needs to be done first! Even if it’s something you dread, you’ll not only have completed the task but you also won’t be worrying about it all day. And after you’ve put first things first, the important items will be taken care of and there’s more room and time for the things you WANT to do, not just HAVE to do!
Habit 4: Think WIN-WIN
If you are always thinking in terms of WIN-WIN you are contributing to prosperity, even if it’s monetary. You are seeking to find a way to not only make all parties successful but that no one gets burned in the process!
Habit 5: Seek first to UNDERSTAND, and THEN be understood!
We all want to be heard and understood. But more often than not, we all forget (or are ignorant of) the ways of people.
Instead of focusing on being right or being understood, if you can understand the other party or get a better idea of their stance, then you will find common ground instead of dissension and opposition.
Habit 6: Synergize
Most people are taught from a young age to “share” … And it can have a compound effect on one’s life if this habit is understood early in life.
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” — Jefferson Santos
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Also known as PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, you need to be constantly sharpening your saw. Become more knowledgeable in things that will help you to achieve success and stay consistent.
Sharpening the saw could be surrounding yourself with the people who are successful in the places that you want to be in.
It is reading 10 pages of a book that stimulates you and helps you grow, like “The Magic of Believing” or “What to Say When You Talk to Yourself”.
It is listening to 30 minutes a day of outstanding audios or presentations of successful, influential and powerful people — like Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Scott Ross, or Jefferson Santos!
It’s giving you the edge you need to be better than the average person. And it can even cut down the time it will take to achieve the goals you desire!
I suppose that’s all from me for today. If you like the information I provided, please be sure to comment on this post at the bottom of the page! And if you want to automatically be notified as to when I have more information like this, then click >> here << and you will get occasional emails from me on more like this!
Well said and some good reminders from the 7 habits… it’s been years since I listened to the CD set I got of the book. The best reminder? Sharpening the saw! I’ve been doing it unconsciously just by nature but now I will make a point to do it even more.
Same goes for sharpening the saw. Even if we’ve read or heard things before, it’s amazing what our minds can do with the information when we go back to it. Because at that point, we’ve already grown, experienced new things and our brains have had a chance to utilize what we learned and can have more sink in. Bekkah – you are always a light and I’m so proud to see you taking steps to sharpen your own saw and follow your passions. 🙂
This is great information Kassandra. As I learn more about how habits are more than quitting a bad habit, but instead creating good habits to create greater success, I enjoy reading books and learning about this. Appreciate you sharing.
My pleasure, Lynn! Thanks for the feedback. And it’s so true – in order to quit a bad habit, you must replace it with a good one that will help you lead a healthier, more successful life. Otherwise, people tend to fall back in to those old habits. Really happy to hear that you’re continuing to sharpen your saw!
I re-read this book every year. These are habits everyone should have learned in school