The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Τhe first book of self-help I ever read and made a profound impact on me was The seven habits of Highly Effective Τeenagers, by Sean Covey. Sean Covey is the son of Stephen R. Covey, who published in 1989 The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It has sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages since first publication. Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles of a character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless. In August 2011, Time listed Seven Habits as one of "The 25 Most Influential Business Management Books".

That Sean Covey's book, dedicated to teenagers, changed my life for good. It appeared in my life at the perfect time and formed my worldview. It inspired the idea of achieving greatness and personal fulfillment in the younger me and I feel very grateful towards it.  This blog also aims to help people help themselves. We live in a time which in many aspects is better than any other time of the past, yet many of us suffer. Why is that so? This question has troubled me over the years and I find the mere idea of someone suffering inhuman. Not only inhuman, but also unnatural. Therefore, I have decided to try and do whatever I can to help people reach their natural state, a state of inner peace and love.

Let's not procrastinate and get straight to the point! 

Stephen R. Covey believes that our character is a collection of our habits, and habits have a powerful role in our lives. We are responsible for our life and our habits form our reality. Habits consist of knowledge, skill, and desire. Knowledge allows us to know what to do, skill gives us the ability to know how to do it, and desire is the motivation to do it.

The Seven Habits move us through the following stages:

1. Dependence: the paradigm under which we are born, relying upon others to take care of us. All of us have experienced that stage.
2. Independence: the paradigm under which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves. Independence is very important but hard to achive if your mindset is imprisoned.
3. Interdependence: the paradigm under which we cooperate to achieve something that cannot be achieved independently.                       

Much of the success literature today tends to value independence, encouraging people to become liberated and do their own thing. The reality is that we are interdependent, and the independent model is not optimal for use in an interdependent environment that requires leaders and team players. Misused independence may lead to selfish and narrow-minded attitudes. Yet, a healthy and creative personal stage of independence is necessary, since dependent people have not yet developed the character for interdependence

The first three habits focus on helping the reader move from Dependence to Independence, and the next three address Interdependence. Finally, the last one relates to self-rejuvenation.

Let us move to the Habits. As I mentioned before, the first three are related to Self Mastery.   

Habit 1: Be Proactive 

Synopsis: Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life's principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the subsequent consequences that follow.   

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind 

Synopsis: Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.  

Habit 3: Put First Things First 

Synopsis: Plan, prioritize, and execute your week's tasks based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts exemplify your desired character values, propel you toward goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in Habit 2.
 
Let us reflect on those three habits. They are presented as the desired form of action, because they lead a previously dependent person towards Self Mastery. Independence is the goal these habits aim to achieve.
Τhe first habit is of vital importance. It addresses the understanding that anything happening in your life is determined by your decisions and your actions. Ιf you believe that everything in your life is controled by factors that you have no power over, you immediately victimise yourself. You create the idea of a world in which something else and not you is responsible for your suffering and your pain. It is only natural to experience misfortunes. They are a part of life, for the time being. Yet, the reaction towards these misfortunes is up to you. Some of us will choose to suffer and pause our creative abilities, and others will decide to make the best out of the situation. ''Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent'', they said, and it is absolutely true. Furthermore, taking responsibility for what is happening to you, within reason ofcourse, will augment the belief that you are in charge of your own life. This doesn't mean that if things aren't going the way you think you want them to be going, you are incapable. On contrary, it simply means that whatever happens to you, whether you have consiously attracted it or not, you have the power to change and to form your goals.
Goal-setting is another important part of the procedure. If you know where you are going, you will be able to understand if your attitude and your actions are aligned with these goals. Therefore, you will be able to decide on the importance of every-day tasks. I believe that everything we need is right here with us at all times. It is healthy and effective to have goals and to form your life around them if they make you experience your true and higher self, but all the tools you need to make them a reality are inside you. I will elaborate on this very important matter later in my posts.

The next post will include the rest of the Habits.

Be happy :)