What habits do highly effective people have?

The book opens with an explanation of how many individuals who have achieved a high degree of outward
success still find themselves struggling with an inner need for developing personal effectiveness and
growing healthy relationships with other people.
Covey believes the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a
given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change
our perceptions.
In studying over 200 years of literature on the concept of "success," Covey identified a very important
change in the way that humans have defined success over time.
In earlier times, the foundation of success rested upon character ethic (things like integrity, humility, fidelity,
temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity, modesty, and the Golden Rule). But starting
around the 1920s, the way people viewed success shifted to what Covey calls "personality ethic" (where
success is a function of personality, public image, attitudes, and behaviors).
What habits do highly effective people have?
The book opens with an explanation of how many individuals who have achieved a high degree of outward
success still find themselves struggling with an inner need for developing personal effectiveness and
growing healthy relationships with other people.
Covey believes the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a
given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change
our perceptions.
In studying over 200 years of literature on the concept of "success," Covey identified a very important
change in the way that humans have defined success over time.
In earlier times, the foundation of success rested upon character ethic (things like integrity, humility, fidelity,
temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity, modesty, and the Golden Rule). But starting
around the 1920s, the way people viewed success shifted to what Covey calls "personality ethic" (where
success is a function of personality, public image, attitudes, and behaviors).
These days, people look for quick fixes. They see a successful person, team, or organization and ask,
"How do you do it? Teach me your techniques!" But these "shortcuts" that we look for, hoping to save time
and effort and still achieve the desired result, are simply band-aids that will yield short-term solutions. They
don't address the underlying condition.
"The way we see the problem is the problem," Covey writes. We must allow ourselves to undergo paradigm
shifts -- to change ourselves fundamentally and not just alter our attitudes and behaviors on the surface
level -- in order to achieve true change.
That's where the seven habits of highly effective people come in:
Habits 1, 2, and 3 are focused on self-mastery and moving from dependence to independence.
Habits 4, 5, and 6 are focused on developing teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills, and
moving from independence to interdependence.
Habit 7 is focused on continuous growth and improvement and embodies all the other habits.
Habit 1: BE PROACTIVE
Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. You can't keep blaming everything on your parents
or grandparents. Proactive people recognize that they are "response-able." They don't blame genetics,
circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. They know they choose their behavior.
Reactive people, on the other hand, are often affected by their physical environment. They find external
sources to blame for their behavior. If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn't, it affects their attitude
and performance, and they blame the weather.
All of these external forces act as stimuli that we respond to. Between the stimulus and the response is
your greatest power--you have the freedom to choose your response. One of the most important things you
choose is what you say. Your language is a good indicator of how you see yourself. A proactive person
uses proactive language--I can, I will, I prefer, etc. A reactive person uses reactive language--I can't, I have
to, if only. Reactive people believe they are not responsible for what they say and do--they have no choice.
Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do
something about: health, children, or problems at work.
Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern--things over which they have little or no control:
the national debt, terrorism, or the weather. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our
energies is a giant step in becoming proactive.

HABIT 2: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with
your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and
a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint.
If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower
other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It's about connecting again with your
own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most
happily express and fulfil yourself.
One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It
focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals
in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your
own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.
HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST®
Execute on most important priorities.
To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is
okay. There's no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it's all right to say no when
necessary and then focus on your highest priorities.
Habit 1 says, "You're in charge. You're the creator." Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or
mental, creation. Beginning with the End in Mind is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the
physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together. It happens day in and day out,
moment-by-moment. It deals with many of the questions addressed in the field of time management. But
that's not all it's about. Habit 3 is about life management as well--your purpose, values, roles, and priorities.
What are "first things?" First things are those things you, personally, find of most worth. If you put first
things first, you are organizing and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you
established in Habit 2.

HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN®

Work effectively with others to achieve optimal results.
Think Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for human
interaction and collaboration.
Most of us learn to base our self-worth on comparisons and competition. We think about succeeding in
terms of someone else failing--that is, if I win, you lose; or if you win, I lose. Life becomes a zero-sum
game. There is only so much pie to go around, and if you get a big piece, there is less for me; it's not fair,
and I'm going to make sure you don't get anymore. We all play the game, but how much fun is it really?
Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that
constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are
mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!
A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character
traits:
Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of
others
Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone
To go for win-win, you not only have to be empathic, but you also have to be confident. You not only have
to be considerate and sensitive, you also have to be brave. To do that--to achieve that balance between
courage and consideration--is the essence of real maturity and is fundamental to win-win.
HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD®
Communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
Communication is the most important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and
years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training have you had that enables you to
listen so you really, deeply understand another human being? Probably none, right?
If you're like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And
in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you're listening, selectively hear only
certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning
entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand.
You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going
to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame of reference. You check
what you hear against your autobiography and see how it measures up. And consequently, you decide
prematurely what the other person means before he/she finishes communicating. Do any of the following
sound familiar?
You might be saying, "Hey, now wait a minute. I'm just trying to relate to the person by drawing on my own
experiences. Is that so bad?" In some situations, autobiographical responses may be appropriate, such as
when another person specifically asks for help from your point of view or when there is already a very high
level of trust in the relationship.
HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE®
Innovate and problem solve with those who have a different point of view.
To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative
cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems.
But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their
personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they
could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It
is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty--
you name it.
When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they're open to each other's influence, they begin to
gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of
differences.
Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and
psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could
all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring!
Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.
HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW®
Seek continuous improvement and renewal professionally and personally.
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. Here are some examples of activities:
Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others
Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or
service
As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the
Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to
produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind
mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?
You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being.
You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health
and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in
the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day
provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall.
All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.