7 Habit of Highly Effective People

This week in class we have been learning about the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey.  In some ways it makes me feel energized and encouraged and in other ways it makes me feel depressed.  It is one of those things where you are encouraged to do all the habits and become highly effective.  But then you realized how far away from that type of person you are.

Here are the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

Habit 1: Be proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind
Habit 3: Put first things first
Habit 4: Think win/win.
Habit 5: Seek first to understand then to be understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

Covey says that these habits should be done in order.  The first three are personal victories (ones you feel inside yourself) and the next three are public victories (those that affect others around you) and then finally the seventh habit is interdependence (where you use your independence to help others).

So based on this I believe the habit I need to work on the most right now is habit 1.  I need to work in the important but not urgent quadrant.  Meaning those maintenance type things that need to be done so that you don't have an urgent problem.  (For instance, getting your oil change and maintenance on your car so that you car doesn't breakdown on the freeway.)  I tend to be very reactionary. I handle the fire that is right in front of me and then waste away much of my other time.  So I rarely take the time to prevent the fires in the first place.  I need to focus on the preventative maintenance.  That is the goal I want to work on this coming week.  I will try to remember to report back next week.