1. The Most Important Habit Of Them All
Today, I just got the news that Dr. Stephen Covey passed away.
Dr. Covey was the author of the mega-popular business book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People.”
His book is one of the most read, most influential business books of our time.
Dr. Covey was one of the greatest thought leaders the business world has ever known, yet his
ideas were rather simple and straightforward.
I believe the reason his books were so popular were because they conveyed timeless principles
that never change.
Here Are His 7 Habits for Highly Effective People
Independence or Self-Mastery
The First Three Habits surround moving from dependence to independence (i.e., self mastery):
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Take initiative. Be responsible. Be preemptive.
Take action. Don’t wait to be “acted upon.” The primary factor in your success will be your
ability to take action and be proactive.
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2. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Always think things through and start each project, goal, activity with a vision of what you want
have accomplished. Start with the end in mind and work backwards to how you’re going to
achieve it.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Prioritize the most important things in your by doing them first before the fires of the day
consume your time. Plan what’s important, instead of reacting to what’s urgent.
The next three have to do with Interdependence (i.e., working with others):
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
When working with others, think about how you can benefit the other person as much as
yourself.
Having a win-lose mindset might work out for you in the short run, but it rarely ever works in the
long run. If things don’t work for the other person, what ever you are doing will erode and break
down.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Before espousing your opinions or ideas, step back and take a moment to understand the other
person’s opinions or ideas first. When you do, you are more likely to make better decisions and
they are more likely to listen to your opinions or ideas.
This will create a space where you can solve problems with mutual respect and caring.
Habit 6: Synergize
The sum of the whole is more powerful than the sum of it’s individual parts. When people work
together, they produce something that’s better than what could be achieved working alone.
Self Renewal
The Last habit relates to self-rejuvenation:
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Continually seek to get better, be more inspired, learn more, be healthier, and serve others.
That’s why most religions embrace the concept of the Sabbath Day…it’s a day of renewal. We
all need to be continually renewed.
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3. But What’s The Most Important Habit?
Dr. Covey himself said that if he was to choose which of the seven habits was the most
important, he would choose Habit #1.
Everything starts with taking responsibility for your actions and being proactive in your life.
Dr. Covey explained this habit by asking us to imagine there was a pause between our
circumstances and our actions. That pause button represents a choice that we make.
We can choose to either react or be proactive.
What this means is that we all have a choice to be successful in whatever we are doing or not.
We can choose to be different, be better, to overcome and rise above our circumstances.
Dan Kennedy, the famous marketing guru, corroborates what Dr. Covey teaches. Dan wrote a
book called, “The Ultimate Success Secret,” which he explains that “taking action” is the
ultimate secret to success.
The Habit That Changed My Life
For me, one of the seven habits has had a profound effect on my life.
It’s habit # 3, put first things first.
In fact, the only habit in which Dr. Covey devoted an entire book to was, “First Things First,”
which he wrote in 1994.
“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly,
smilingly, non-apologetically – to say “no” to other things. And the way to do that is to
have a bigger “yes” burning inside.” Dr. Stephen Covey
This habit taught me to make the most important things in my life my highest priority. He taught
me to schedule those activities that support my highest priorities.
Here’s a video of Dr. Covey teaching this important principle. I watch it from time to time to
“sharpen my saw.”
And of course my highest priorities are…
1. My faith
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4. 2. My family,
and then…
3. My career.
I’ve learned to make my church meetings and my personal prayer and scripture reading my first
priority.
I’ve also learned to block out precious time for my family and spending “quantity” time as well
as quality time with my wife and kids.
When I’ve followed these priorities, I’ve found great happiness, satisfaction and joy in my life.
When I’ve violated these priorities, things didn’t seem to go right.
THANK YOU Dr. Stephen Covey for your wisdom and the courage to share it with us. R.I.P.
Sincerely,
Read More . . . The Most Important Habit Of Them All
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