Exploring the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (By Stephen Covey)and What Habit Has the Most Meaning to ME!

 

• Which of the 7 habits has the most meaning for you?

  I can see value in all of the habits. I think that it is really hard to narrow myself down to the one most important habit. It Covey felt that there was one habit that stood out more than the rest than maybe it would have been the 1 habit of highly effective people. This is not the case. Each of the habits seem to build upon each other like this picture describes. starting with a foundation and then building and growing into an effective person. If I had to choose which habit, I am the weakest at I would choose the habit #5. I think as humans we are looking to be understood first and then we might be willing to try to understand. I think that I could have the greatest personal growth if I implement Habit #5 into my life. I believe that trying to understand others first would decrease anger between those that see things in a different way than I do. Covey explained, “Most people don’t listen with an intent to understand - they listen with the intent to reply. They are either speaking or preparing to speak. They see others through the lens of their own autobiographies. The key to understanding another person is empathetic listening – really trying to understand everything (including the nonverbal signals) the other person is communicating. You listen for feeling and for meaning, for behavior and other signals. You are totally focused on the other person’s point of view, not projecting your own life’s story into their words.” I can see myself in every word that Covey describes. This is why I think that for me personally, the largest growth would come from implementing this habit into my life.  

• Why will the 7 habits help you fill your life with passion and purpose as you seek to achieve both a private and public victory?

I think that the 7 habits help you to look at life with an ability to see the good that life has to offer both privately and publicly.  In the summary we read this week it stated, "The 7 habits provide an incremental, sequential, integrated approach to the development of personal effectiveness moving us progressively from dependence (on others) to independence (take care of ourselves) to interdependence (looking after others and combining strengths)." Building a personality with these 7 habits in mind will change the way you look and interact with those around you. This will enable a person to be a pillar in the community. People will want to be around you because of these 7 habits. You will be able to help others to develop these skills into their lives which will continue the cycle of improvement within the community you live. This could eventually grow into a nation of effective people. As you grow you will have passion in your life to go after the lifestyle you desire. You will be able to do this also with a sense of purpose as you have learned to begin with the end in mind and put first things first. Learning to listen to others and progress with synergy. Finally, every day you need to take time to sharpen the saw, or take care of you by exercising and feeding yourself spiritually and physically.