By Stephen Covey
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
-Aristotle
Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly express our character and produce our effectiveness…or ineffectiveness.
A habit can be defined as the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire. Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm, the what to do and the why. Skill is the how to do. And desire is the motivation, the want to do. In order to make something a success in our lives, we have to have all three.
Habit 1: Be Proactive – The habit of being proactive, or the habit of personal vision, means taking responsibility of our attitudes and actions. Take the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind – This is the habit of personal leadership. Start with a clear destination to understand where you are now, where you’re going, and what you value most.
Habit 3: Put First Things First – The habit of personal management, which involves organizing and the managing time, events, and yourself. Organize and execute around priorities.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win – Win-Win is the habit of interpersonal leadership. Win-Win is also the attitude of seeking mutual benefit.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood – This is the habit of empathic communication and paraphrasing. Understanding builds the skills of empathic listening that inspire openness and trust.
Habit 6: Synergize – The habit of creative cooperation or teamwork. Synergy results from valuing differences by bringing different perspectives together in the spirit of mutual respect.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw – This is the habit of self-renewal. Preserving and enhancing your greatest asset by renewing the physical, spiritual, mental, and social / emotional dimensions of your nature.
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