The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Small changes, huge results
🏷️ Categorías: Habits, Continuous improvement, Time management, Literature.
Almost all of us know that we could improve in aspects of our lives, both personally and professionally. But here's the problem: we don't know where to start or how to do it.
Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides a clear and practical answer to overcome just such a blockage.
The idea of the book is simple: to maximize the potential of whoever reads it. Covey analyzes patterns observed in great personalities from various fields and translates them into habits that we can all adopt. By the end of reading this text, you will understand how to integrate these principles into your daily life to go one step further in your development.
These are the 7 key habits.
Habit 1: Being proactive, the power of choice
Proactivity is the foundation of effectiveness.
Being proactive means taking responsibility for our decisions and actions. It is the first habit because the rest depends on us being proactive and not reactive people, i.e., making things happen rather than waiting for them to happen.
The key to mastering this habit is to understand that while external circumstances are often not in our control, our response to those circumstances always is. Proactive people are clear about this and focus on their “circle of influence” (that which they can control) rather than wearing themselves out with the “circle of worry” (unchangeable external circumstances).
How to apply it?
If publishers don't publish your writing, instead of getting discouraged, take action in your circle of influence; start writing online and build your reputation.
If prices go up, instead of lamenting, review your finances and look for ways to optimize your expenses or think of some extra income to improve the situation.
Over time, your circle will lead you to opportunities that were impossible before.
Habit 2: Start with an end in mind
If you don't define who you are and where you want to go, someone else will do it for you.
Circumstances, people you surround yourself with, the opinions of others, even the inertia of day-to-day life, will end up shaping you. “Start with an end in mind” is to know your direction. What kind of person do I want to be? That's the question you need to know.
The best way to do it?
Write down your Personal Mission. It will be your logbook for life, the one that reminds you of what's important and keeps your focus when chaos arises. Ask yourself:
What do I want people to remember about me?
What values will guide my decisions, even when no one is watching?
What legacy do I want to leave?
Design life instead of letting it happen randomly. Then you'll be clear about your goal for the coming hours, days, months and years. You will move forward proactively.
“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” — Stephen Covey
Habit 3: Putting first things first
We tend to believe that managing time is about managing a watch, when in reality it is about managing a compass. Our personal mission is “true north”.
Focus on what really matters with the Eisenhower Matrix, which ranks your activities according to their urgency and importance. Many people spend their time reacting to what is urgent (but not necessarily important), which leaves them with no time for what matters. However, effective people spend most of their time in Quadrant 2: important but not urgent activities. That's where your long-term goals, health, relationships and personal growth are.
Automate, delegate and streamline the rest to make time for #2.
Live in importance, not urgency.
Habit 4: Thinking win-win
We tend to measure our value based on comparisons and competitions.
We think of success as dependent on someone else's failure: if I win, they lose; or if they win, I lose. It's a scarcity mentality in which it seems that the number of opportunities is dwarfed and that you must do everything you can to get your share and they lose theirs.
You have to get rid of that scarcity mentality.
Win-win is the mentality of constantly finding solutions that produce mutual benefit. Empathy is not enough, you must invest in the needs of others and express your own, so that a beneficial exchange is generated. This is how we create solid relationships.
This is the abundance mentality.
“Maturity is balanced between the courage to express our ideas and the consideration to understand those of others.” — Stephen Covey
A single rower will never row as a team.
Habit 5: Understand first, then be understood
We tend to seek to impose our vision, but the key is to listen and understand.
To communicate effectively, we must first understand the other person before trying to be understood. This means listening without interrupting, trying to see things from the other person's perspective and understanding their emotions.
Before responding, try to understand their view. Be interested in what they tell.
When we truly listen to others, we create an environment of trust that makes it easier to solve problems and build strong relationships. Empathy opens doors and is crucial for teamwork and leadership.
By mastering this habit, the win-win habit will emerge effortlessly.
Habit 6: Synergize
Teamwork is more than just adding efforts.
1 + 1 = 3, 30 or even 300.
Synergy occurs when we collaborate to create results that exceed what we could achieve individually. Once you master Habit 5, you will leverage differences and foster an environment where diverse ideas are welcome.
Synergy happens when those differences combine and give you an advantage.
You may not have been able to accomplish the same thing on your own, but by collaborating, you accomplish so much more. As an extremely inspirational basketball coach I had once said, “a team is much more than 5 players on a court”.
This is how to turn synergy into a habit:
Question: are we all willing to try something new and different? Not my way or your way, but our way. Create something together that we would not have achieved alone.
Define: Establish what team success means. What is our ultimate goal? Before you take a step, make sure you know where you want to go.
Create: Start prototyping, testing ideas, generating alternatives and don't just go with the first option that comes up. Try, learn from the mistake and iterate again. Brainwriting is an option.
It happens: The magic happens. You find a solution you didn't expect, an alternative that neither you nor I would have imagined on our own. That's synergy.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
The last habit has to do with the importance of continually renewing ourselves.
Like the saw that wears out with constant use, people need time to rest, reflect and improve our skills. Covey divides it into 4 areas. If we neglect any of these areas, our effectiveness will plummet.
Physical: Exercise, eat right, get enough sleep.
Mental: Learn, hone our skills, read every day.
Emotional: Investing in our relationships is investing in ourselves.
Spiritual: Spending time on activities in line with our values.
Think of other activities that sharpen your saw.
“Renewal is the beginning (and the process) that allows us to move forward in an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement.” — Stephen Covey
“There is no better way to inform yourself and expand your mind on a regular basis than to get into the habit of reading good literature.” — Stephen Covey
Keep your mind sharp, curious and ready for the challenges ahead.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is not a book you read and leave on the shelf. It is a reference book to find guidance as you move forward in life.
Progress is not an accident; it is the result of our daily choices.
✍️ It's your turn: Which of these 7 habits are most present in your life? In which one do you think you can improve the most? Personally, I think I need to work especially on Habit 6: synergize. Sometimes I see that I can get even more out of teamwork.
💭 Quote of the day: “The key is not to prioritize what's on your agenda, but to put your priorities on the agenda.” Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
See you next time! 👋
References 📚
Covey, S. R. (1997). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic.
Helpful, thank you! I remember that as a good book, read years ago, and your synopsis is just the refresher course needed!