The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People.

 

"There is no real excellence in all this world, which can be separated from the right living"

I just came across really influencing and life-changing book by Stephen R Covey named The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People the book contains timeless and basic principles that can guide any individua, organisation, business or company on the path of success. it guides you in every sphere of your life including social, personal, professionals, spiritual. I am highly inspired by the amazing write up and it's worth sharing.

  "Effective people don't do different things they do things differently."

It all depends on how we see things, which the author calls our 'Paradigms'- simply lenses we put on to look at everything.

"We see the world, not as it is, but as we are-or, as we are condition to see it."

Out of the 7 habits first three are the habits of private victory, which enables you to know yourself deeper, your nature, your values and your unique contribution. The next three are the habits of public victory, about building relationships about being social and liable. And the 7th habit enriches the other 6 and makes you capable of being effective.
  Let's go through all the 7 habits deeply and thoroughly.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

"I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday."

  Being proactive is to be responsible to take the responsibility-the ability to choose your response. Between stimulus and response man has the freedom to choose. It's not what happens to us but our response to what happens to us that hurts us. Being proactive is to be responsible for own decisions and its consequences. We have the power to change the circumstances by changing our approach towards them. If a problem is direct (about you) change your behaviour, if it is indirect change your way to see it and if it is no control problem (out of your circle of influence) accept it and learn to live with it. Being proactive is not letting your external environment decide your priorities.

" There is a gap or a space between stimulus and response and that the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space."

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind.

" A Thousand Mile Journey begins with the first."

To begin with the end in mind is to know the destination before you start travelling and keep tracking your path so that you arrive at the desired destination. One must have a clear idea of the goals in all spheres of one's life, alongside one must know the basic principles that one wants his or her life to work upon. The author simplifies it by an excellent example- "Imagine it's your funeral and all those who are some part of your life are to attended and talk about you and what you want each of them to say about you are your goals." When you have the end in mind you must do everything that would take you towards your goals and avoid anything that would drive you away from it. Habit 2 is based on principles of personal leadership.
Leadership and Management are two different things.

  "Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success and leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall."

 

Habit 3: Put First Things First

"Things which matter the most, must never be at the mercy of the things which matter least."

  Put first things first simply means one must be able to prioritise the tasks. It deals with time management and revolves around a single phrase "Organised and execute around priorities" The author divides goals into four quadrants the first quadrant consists of urgent goals which are also important, while the second consists of important goals which are not urgent and third and fourth quadrant deals with not so important goals. An effective person focuses on quadrant 2 goals, those which are important though not urgent but are very important in long run. Quadrant 2 activities include prevention, relationship building, Planning and Recreation.

"The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."

These were the three habits about personal development or personal victory.
The next habits deals with public victory.

Habit 4- Think win/win.

"Let's not do it your way or my way, let's do it the best way."

  There are six Paradigms of human interaction which are win/win, lose/lose, win/lose, win, lose/win and win/win or no deal,  among this win/win is the most relevant.
It means thinking of a mutual victory, where both the parties win and reach the  solution. It follows a belief that there is plenty out there and your victory doesn't mean the loss of someone else. It requires you to be good and empatic listener and requires high consideration and courage.

Habit 5- Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

"The heart has its reasons which reasons knows not of.."

Seek first to understand then to be understood means one must learn to be a good listener and then expect others to understand you.
'Suppose you have been to an optometrist for help because you have a trouble with your eyes after listening to your complaint, he just takes off his own glasses and hands it to you and you would not be able to see anything. It just got worsen but he says it was because your attitude was not so good and you need to try harder'
It's just how we approach someone who shares a problem with us, we simply read our own autobiographies into their lives. We must rather be an emphatic listeners. 'Diagnosing before you prescribe' is the fundamental law.
  When you try to understand others, it add up in your emotional bank account. It becomes much easier to be understood then when we really deeply understand each other we open doors to creative solutions and third alternatives.

"The greatest Battles of life are fought out daily in the silent chambers of the soul."

Habit 6- Synergize

 " I take as my guide the hope of a saint:
in crucial things, Unity-
in important things, Diversity-
in all things generosity."

   To synergize revolves around the principal 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts', it means opening up to each other and working together coordinatively effectively. When we communicate synergistically, we open our mind, heart and expressions to new possibilities, alternatives or options.
  Two people may disagree on any issue it's all natural but the key is 'fishing for the third alternative' and it can only come through synergetic communications. Valuing the differences is the essence of synergy. Synergy is not an action it's a process that lead to effectiveness.

" Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is, treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be."

Habit 7- Sharpen the saw

"It's preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have-you"

  It's renewing the four dimensions of your nature of physical, spiritual, mental, and social/ emotional. It means exercising them on a regular and consistent basis. 'Suppose you see someone working hours and hours to saw down a tree, you just go and advise him to stop for a while and 'sharpen the saw' but he replies he is too busy to do that.'
That's what our tendency is most of the time we just keep on going without sharpening the saw.
Sharpening the saw is like making investment in ourselves. Sharpening our saw in four dimensions include:
  Physical- caring for physical body: eating right, sufficient rest and exercising.
  Mental dimension- includes reading, writing, organising and planning.
  Spiritual dimension- it deals with your inner core, your spirit. It includes value  clarification, commitment and meditation.
  Emotional/ social- includes service, empathy, synergy.

  "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequence come from little things...
I am tempted to think...
there are no little things."

My experience with the book was far beyond just reading a literature it was about indulging oneself, experimenting, implementing, researching, thinking, practicing and developing. I would like to pay tribute to the author 'Stephen Covey' who was a great thinker and writer. His Masterpiece 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' is a timeless book based on the core principles on which human life is based.
  Our lives are directly or indirectly based on the values we have. We are always affected by them. Effectiveness can be defined differently by different individuals but ethics and morals would remain unchanged.
  "शील परम भूषणम्" - character is the highest virtue. We must work to build our character. Life is not a race, it's a journey and our values and principles and habits, would accompany us and shape our journey, and would lead us to our destination.

" Into the hands of every individual is given a marvellous power for good or evil- The silent, unconscious, unseen influence of his life. This is simply the constant radiation of what man really is not what he pretends to be."