This document discusses Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It outlines the 7 habits and provides details on the first habit of being proactive. The habits move from private victory of taking responsibility for one's life to public victory of interdependence. Developing these habits involves acquiring the discipline to put first things first through self-management and prioritizing around principles and goals.
This summary provides an overview of the key ideas from Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People":
1. Covey identifies seven habits that are shared by effective people. These habits can be learned to help one succeed. The habits involve developing character through private victories like responsibility, and public victories like interdependence with others.
2. The first habit is being proactive - taking responsibility for your own life rather than feeling like a victim of outside forces. Proactive people focus their efforts on things they can control.
3. The second habit is beginning with the end in mind. This means having a clear vision of your goals and purpose so you make choices aligned with that vision
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLEfreesudhakar
This document summarizes Stephen Covey's book on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It discusses each of the 7 habits in detail:
1. Be Proactive - Take responsibility for your life and choices.
2. Begin with the End in Mind - Have a clear vision and purpose that guides your decisions.
3. Put First Things First - Spend your time on important goals and tasks rather than urgent but unimportant activities.
4. Think Win-Win - Look for solutions that benefit all parties involved.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood - Listen to others to understand their perspectives before trying to be understood.
6. Syn
Seven Habits of Highly Effective PeopleTania Aslam
The document provides an overview of Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It discusses the book's introduction, structure, key principles and the seven habits which are: 1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw. Each habit is explained in terms of its underlying principle and paradigm.
The document summarizes the 7 habits of highly effective people according to Stephen Covey. The first habit is to be proactive by focusing on things within your control rather than reacting to external circumstances. The second habit is to begin with the end in mind, such as envisioning your legacy and how your current actions will impact that. The third habit is to prioritize important tasks, focusing first on important but not urgent tasks to achieve long-term goals.
This document discusses key concepts from Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It covers the importance of having the right mental map or paradigm to solve problems effectively. It also discusses the need for paradigm shifts to make significant changes. Habit 1 is about being proactive by choosing your response instead of reacting based on feelings. Habits 2 and 3 involve beginning with the end in mind by defining a personal mission statement and priorities, and putting first things first through effective time management.
The 7 habits of highly effective peopleUnike Pcool
This presentation summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which outlines seven principles for personal effectiveness. The habits are divided into private victory habits of self-mastery and public victory habits of interpersonal mastery. Habit 1 is to be proactive in choosing responses based on values rather than conditions. Habit 2 is to begin with the end in mind by envisioning a goal and working backwards. Habit 3 is to put first things first by prioritizing important tasks.
This is a summary of 7 habits of highly effective people, with pictures charts and tools used in the book that can be very handy in imbibing the essence of the book as a whole. Though it is my personal recommendation that one must take out time to read the entire book. As this whatever available in this presentation will cover not more than a small chunk of the complete essence of the book.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People outlines 7 habits that can help people achieve greater effectiveness. The first 3 habits - Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First - relate to independence and achieving private victories. The next 3 habits - Think Win-Win, Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood, and Synergize - lead to mutual benefit and public victories through interdependence. The final habit, Sharpen the Saw, sustains growth through self-renewal in physical, social, mental and spiritual areas. Mastering these habits helps people move from dependence to independence to interdependence.
This summary provides an overview of the key ideas from Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People":
1. Covey identifies seven habits that are shared by effective people. These habits can be learned to help one succeed. The habits involve developing character through private victories like responsibility, and public victories like interdependence with others.
2. The first habit is being proactive - taking responsibility for your own life rather than feeling like a victim of outside forces. Proactive people focus their efforts on things they can control.
3. The second habit is beginning with the end in mind. This means having a clear vision of your goals and purpose so you make choices aligned with that vision
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLEfreesudhakar
This document summarizes Stephen Covey's book on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It discusses each of the 7 habits in detail:
1. Be Proactive - Take responsibility for your life and choices.
2. Begin with the End in Mind - Have a clear vision and purpose that guides your decisions.
3. Put First Things First - Spend your time on important goals and tasks rather than urgent but unimportant activities.
4. Think Win-Win - Look for solutions that benefit all parties involved.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood - Listen to others to understand their perspectives before trying to be understood.
6. Syn
Seven Habits of Highly Effective PeopleTania Aslam
The document provides an overview of Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It discusses the book's introduction, structure, key principles and the seven habits which are: 1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw. Each habit is explained in terms of its underlying principle and paradigm.
The document summarizes the 7 habits of highly effective people according to Stephen Covey. The first habit is to be proactive by focusing on things within your control rather than reacting to external circumstances. The second habit is to begin with the end in mind, such as envisioning your legacy and how your current actions will impact that. The third habit is to prioritize important tasks, focusing first on important but not urgent tasks to achieve long-term goals.
This document discusses key concepts from Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It covers the importance of having the right mental map or paradigm to solve problems effectively. It also discusses the need for paradigm shifts to make significant changes. Habit 1 is about being proactive by choosing your response instead of reacting based on feelings. Habits 2 and 3 involve beginning with the end in mind by defining a personal mission statement and priorities, and putting first things first through effective time management.
The 7 habits of highly effective peopleUnike Pcool
This presentation summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which outlines seven principles for personal effectiveness. The habits are divided into private victory habits of self-mastery and public victory habits of interpersonal mastery. Habit 1 is to be proactive in choosing responses based on values rather than conditions. Habit 2 is to begin with the end in mind by envisioning a goal and working backwards. Habit 3 is to put first things first by prioritizing important tasks.
This is a summary of 7 habits of highly effective people, with pictures charts and tools used in the book that can be very handy in imbibing the essence of the book as a whole. Though it is my personal recommendation that one must take out time to read the entire book. As this whatever available in this presentation will cover not more than a small chunk of the complete essence of the book.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People outlines 7 habits that can help people achieve greater effectiveness. The first 3 habits - Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First - relate to independence and achieving private victories. The next 3 habits - Think Win-Win, Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood, and Synergize - lead to mutual benefit and public victories through interdependence. The final habit, Sharpen the Saw, sustains growth through self-renewal in physical, social, mental and spiritual areas. Mastering these habits helps people move from dependence to independence to interdependence.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It describes Covey as the co-founder of Franklin Covey Company, which offers learning and performance solutions. The book reveals a framework for living and working based on fundamental principles or natural laws. It outlines seven main habits that highly effective people employ: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw.
This is a collection of reports of Doctor in Management - Public Resource Management Graduate Students from the Eastern Visayas State University-Tacloban for the class in Human Behavior in Organization (HBO) under Dr. Nila Filamor - Lusabia
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the 7 habits which are: 1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw. Following each habit is a brief explanation of the principle and how to apply it to improve effectiveness. The overarching message is that developing good habits leads to an effective personal and professional life.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. Covey argues that aligning with universal principles leads to true effectiveness and success.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. The principles are meant to help readers achieve effectiveness and align themselves with universal, timeless values.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. The principles are meant to help readers achieve effectiveness and align themselves with universal, timeless values.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. Covey argues that aligning with universal principles leads to true effectiveness and success.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. The principles are meant to help readers achieve effectiveness and align themselves with universal, timeless values.
7 Habits Of Highly Effective People Session 2spnolan
This document summarizes a session on Stephen Covey's book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" focusing on Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind. It discusses creating things twice mentally and physically, the importance of leadership over management, developing a personal mission statement centered around principles rather than people or things, and applying the concept of mission statements to families and organizations.
This document discusses the importance of beginning with the end in mind when setting goals and direction in life. It emphasizes creating a clear mental vision or "personal mission statement" that is aligned with one's principles and values. This first creation then guides the physical creation or execution of goals and plans. The document also discusses identifying one's core or "center" to ensure goals and direction are based on correct principles rather than external factors. Finally, it discusses how developing a personal mission statement can provide internal guidance and a standard to measure oneself against in life.
The document discusses finding balance between work life and personal life. It notes that balance looks different for everyone as priorities vary. Key aspects to consider include understanding your needs, passions, and how you want to spend your time. Prioritizing self-care through adequate nutrition, sleep, exercise and recreation is important to avoid burnout. Pursuing fulfillment requires growth and contributing to others. Effective leaders help their teams feel engaged, supported and appreciated to maintain productivity while respecting individuals' needs for balance.
The document summarizes key points from Stephen Covey's book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It discusses the 7 habits which are: 1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw. For each habit, it provides an overview of the concept and supporting principles such as developing a personal mission statement, prioritizing tasks, empathic listening, and balancing renewal across physical, spiritual, mental and social dimensions.
This document provides an overview and summary of Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People". It discusses each of the 7 habits in turn. Habit 1 is being proactive - making choices about how to respond rather than reacting based on conditioning. Habit 2 is beginning with the end in mind, such as developing a personal mission statement. Habit 3 is putting first things first, prioritizing important but not urgent tasks. Habits 4-6 focus on interpersonal relationships, including thinking "win-win" to achieve mutual benefit. Habit 7 involves continuous self-improvement. The document encourages readers to reflect on how these habits could help them personally and professionally.
The seven habits are a framework for personal effectiveness and success. The first three habits - be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first - focus on self-mastery and independence. Habits 4, 5, and 6 address interdependence through thinking win-win, seeking first to understand then to be understood, and synergizing. The seventh habit is to sharpen the saw, which means renewing oneself physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually to sustain the other habits. Mastering the seven habits involves understanding how habits, character, and paradigms shape one's effectiveness.
The seven habits move individuals from dependence to independence to interdependence. The first three habits - be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first - focus on self-mastery and independence. Habits 4, 5, and 6 address interdependence through thinking win-win, seeking first to understand then to be understood, and synergizing. The seventh habit is to sharpen the saw, which involves regularly renewing oneself physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually to sustain effective implementation of the other habits.
The 7 Habits document outlines Stephen Covey's seven habits of highly effective people. The habits are divided into three categories: independence, interdependence, and self-renewal. Habit 1 is about being proactive rather than reactive in life by taking responsibility for decisions and consequences. Habits 2 and 3 involve setting goals and priorities. Habits 4-6 focus on working well with others through mutually beneficial solutions, understanding others, and teamwork. Habit 7 is about self-renewal through balancing resources like health. Developing these habits takes time and effort but can increase personal and professional effectiveness.
Stephen R. Covey - 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'Ashis Lamba
The presentation gives us a crisp overview of what Mr.Stephen has tried to present in his best selling book
'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'.
Stephen R. Covey is renowned author and speaker known for his bestselling book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". He has a B.S. from the University of Utah, an M.B.A. from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. Covey has authored several influential books and received numerous honors including being named one of Time magazine's most influential Americans. His seminal work "The 7 Habits" has sold over 25 million copies worldwide and outlines principles for personal effectiveness centered around habits like being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective people.pdfSeetal Daas
This document summarizes key points from a class presentation on organizational behavior topics. It discusses the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People including being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first. A case study describes how learning the 7 Habits improved an operations manager's time management and productivity. Other topics covered include negotiation strategies, transformational leadership, forces for organizational change like technology and competition, emotions and moods in the workplace, sources of stress, and individual responses to stress.
Creativity for Innovation and SpeechmakingMattVassar1
Tapping into the creative side of your brain to come up with truly innovative approaches. These strategies are based on original research from Stanford University lecturer Matt Vassar, where he discusses how you can use them to come up with truly innovative solutions, regardless of whether you're using to come up with a creative and memorable angle for a business pitch--or if you're coming up with business or technical innovations.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It describes Covey as the co-founder of Franklin Covey Company, which offers learning and performance solutions. The book reveals a framework for living and working based on fundamental principles or natural laws. It outlines seven main habits that highly effective people employ: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw.
This is a collection of reports of Doctor in Management - Public Resource Management Graduate Students from the Eastern Visayas State University-Tacloban for the class in Human Behavior in Organization (HBO) under Dr. Nila Filamor - Lusabia
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the 7 habits which are: 1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw. Following each habit is a brief explanation of the principle and how to apply it to improve effectiveness. The overarching message is that developing good habits leads to an effective personal and professional life.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. Covey argues that aligning with universal principles leads to true effectiveness and success.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. The principles are meant to help readers achieve effectiveness and align themselves with universal, timeless values.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. The principles are meant to help readers achieve effectiveness and align themselves with universal, timeless values.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. Covey argues that aligning with universal principles leads to true effectiveness and success.
The document summarizes Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It outlines the book's key principles organized into four sections: paradigms and principles, private victory, public victory, and renewal. The first three habits focus on independence, the next three on interdependence, and the final habit is self-improvement. The principles are meant to help readers achieve effectiveness and align themselves with universal, timeless values.
7 Habits Of Highly Effective People Session 2spnolan
This document summarizes a session on Stephen Covey's book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" focusing on Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind. It discusses creating things twice mentally and physically, the importance of leadership over management, developing a personal mission statement centered around principles rather than people or things, and applying the concept of mission statements to families and organizations.
This document discusses the importance of beginning with the end in mind when setting goals and direction in life. It emphasizes creating a clear mental vision or "personal mission statement" that is aligned with one's principles and values. This first creation then guides the physical creation or execution of goals and plans. The document also discusses identifying one's core or "center" to ensure goals and direction are based on correct principles rather than external factors. Finally, it discusses how developing a personal mission statement can provide internal guidance and a standard to measure oneself against in life.
The document discusses finding balance between work life and personal life. It notes that balance looks different for everyone as priorities vary. Key aspects to consider include understanding your needs, passions, and how you want to spend your time. Prioritizing self-care through adequate nutrition, sleep, exercise and recreation is important to avoid burnout. Pursuing fulfillment requires growth and contributing to others. Effective leaders help their teams feel engaged, supported and appreciated to maintain productivity while respecting individuals' needs for balance.
The document summarizes key points from Stephen Covey's book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". It discusses the 7 habits which are: 1) Be Proactive, 2) Begin with the End in Mind, 3) Put First Things First, 4) Think Win-Win, 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, 6) Synergize, and 7) Sharpen the Saw. For each habit, it provides an overview of the concept and supporting principles such as developing a personal mission statement, prioritizing tasks, empathic listening, and balancing renewal across physical, spiritual, mental and social dimensions.
This document provides an overview and summary of Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People". It discusses each of the 7 habits in turn. Habit 1 is being proactive - making choices about how to respond rather than reacting based on conditioning. Habit 2 is beginning with the end in mind, such as developing a personal mission statement. Habit 3 is putting first things first, prioritizing important but not urgent tasks. Habits 4-6 focus on interpersonal relationships, including thinking "win-win" to achieve mutual benefit. Habit 7 involves continuous self-improvement. The document encourages readers to reflect on how these habits could help them personally and professionally.
The seven habits are a framework for personal effectiveness and success. The first three habits - be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first - focus on self-mastery and independence. Habits 4, 5, and 6 address interdependence through thinking win-win, seeking first to understand then to be understood, and synergizing. The seventh habit is to sharpen the saw, which means renewing oneself physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually to sustain the other habits. Mastering the seven habits involves understanding how habits, character, and paradigms shape one's effectiveness.
The seven habits move individuals from dependence to independence to interdependence. The first three habits - be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first - focus on self-mastery and independence. Habits 4, 5, and 6 address interdependence through thinking win-win, seeking first to understand then to be understood, and synergizing. The seventh habit is to sharpen the saw, which involves regularly renewing oneself physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually to sustain effective implementation of the other habits.
The 7 Habits document outlines Stephen Covey's seven habits of highly effective people. The habits are divided into three categories: independence, interdependence, and self-renewal. Habit 1 is about being proactive rather than reactive in life by taking responsibility for decisions and consequences. Habits 2 and 3 involve setting goals and priorities. Habits 4-6 focus on working well with others through mutually beneficial solutions, understanding others, and teamwork. Habit 7 is about self-renewal through balancing resources like health. Developing these habits takes time and effort but can increase personal and professional effectiveness.
Stephen R. Covey - 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'Ashis Lamba
The presentation gives us a crisp overview of what Mr.Stephen has tried to present in his best selling book
'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'.
Stephen R. Covey is renowned author and speaker known for his bestselling book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". He has a B.S. from the University of Utah, an M.B.A. from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. Covey has authored several influential books and received numerous honors including being named one of Time magazine's most influential Americans. His seminal work "The 7 Habits" has sold over 25 million copies worldwide and outlines principles for personal effectiveness centered around habits like being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective people.pdfSeetal Daas
This document summarizes key points from a class presentation on organizational behavior topics. It discusses the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People including being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first. A case study describes how learning the 7 Habits improved an operations manager's time management and productivity. Other topics covered include negotiation strategies, transformational leadership, forces for organizational change like technology and competition, emotions and moods in the workplace, sources of stress, and individual responses to stress.
Creativity for Innovation and SpeechmakingMattVassar1
Tapping into the creative side of your brain to come up with truly innovative approaches. These strategies are based on original research from Stanford University lecturer Matt Vassar, where he discusses how you can use them to come up with truly innovative solutions, regardless of whether you're using to come up with a creative and memorable angle for a business pitch--or if you're coming up with business or technical innovations.
The Science of Learning: implications for modern teachingDerek Wenmoth
Keynote presentation to the Educational Leaders hui Kōkiritia Marautanga held in Auckland on 26 June 2024. Provides a high level overview of the history and development of the science of learning, and implications for the design of learning in our modern schools and classrooms.
How to Download & Install Module From the Odoo App Store in Odoo 17Celine George
Custom modules offer the flexibility to extend Odoo's capabilities, address unique requirements, and optimize workflows to align seamlessly with your organization's processes. By leveraging custom modules, businesses can unlock greater efficiency, productivity, and innovation, empowering them to stay competitive in today's dynamic market landscape. In this tutorial, we'll guide you step by step on how to easily download and install modules from the Odoo App Store.
(𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟎) (𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 3)-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬
Lesson Outcomes:
- students will be able to identify and name various types of ornamental plants commonly used in landscaping and decoration, classifying them based on their characteristics such as foliage, flowering, and growth habits. They will understand the ecological, aesthetic, and economic benefits of ornamental plants, including their roles in improving air quality, providing habitats for wildlife, and enhancing the visual appeal of environments. Additionally, students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic requirements for growing ornamental plants, ensuring they can effectively cultivate and maintain these plants in various settings.
Decolonizing Universal Design for LearningFrederic Fovet
UDL has gained in popularity over the last decade both in the K-12 and the post-secondary sectors. The usefulness of UDL to create inclusive learning experiences for the full array of diverse learners has been well documented in the literature, and there is now increasing scholarship examining the process of integrating UDL strategically across organisations. One concern, however, remains under-reported and under-researched. Much of the scholarship on UDL ironically remains while and Eurocentric. Even if UDL, as a discourse, considers the decolonization of the curriculum, it is abundantly clear that the research and advocacy related to UDL originates almost exclusively from the Global North and from a Euro-Caucasian authorship. It is argued that it is high time for the way UDL has been monopolized by Global North scholars and practitioners to be challenged. Voices discussing and framing UDL, from the Global South and Indigenous communities, must be amplified and showcased in order to rectify this glaring imbalance and contradiction.
This session represents an opportunity for the author to reflect on a volume he has just finished editing entitled Decolonizing UDL and to highlight and share insights into the key innovations, promising practices, and calls for change, originating from the Global South and Indigenous Communities, that have woven the canvas of this book. The session seeks to create a space for critical dialogue, for the challenging of existing power dynamics within the UDL scholarship, and for the emergence of transformative voices from underrepresented communities. The workshop will use the UDL principles scrupulously to engage participants in diverse ways (challenging single story approaches to the narrative that surrounds UDL implementation) , as well as offer multiple means of action and expression for them to gain ownership over the key themes and concerns of the session (by encouraging a broad range of interventions, contributions, and stances).
2. 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People
2
7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
2
3. INTRO
• Acquiring the seven habits of effectiveness takes us through the
stages of character development.
• Habits 1 through 3 make up the “private victory” - where we go from
dependence to independence by taking responsibility for our own
lives.
• Acquiring habits 4 through 6 is our “public victory”: Once
independent, we learn to be interdependent, to succeed with other
people.
• The 7 habit makes all the others possible - periodically renewing
ourselves in mind body, and spirit.
5. SEQ
HABIT ONE – BE PROACTIVE
HABIT TWO – BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
HABIT SIX – SYNERGIZE
HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW
7. HABIT ONE – BE PROACTIVE
You won’t find it in an ordinary dictionary, but the word is common
now in management literature: Proactivity means that as human
beings, we are responsible for our own lives. If we think our lives are a
function of our conditions, it is because we have, by conscious
decision or by default, chosen to empower those things to have
control over us - we have let ourselves become reactive. Reactive
people are often affected by the weather, proactive people carry their
own weather with them. Being proactive means recognizing our
responsibility to make things happen. The people who end up with the
good jobs are those who seize the initiative to do whatever is
necessary, consistent with correct principles, to get the job done. I
worked with a group of people in the home- improvement industry.
8. HABIT ONE – BE PROACTIVE
A heavy recession was taking a toll on their business, and they were
discouraged as we began the semin2r. The first day, we talked about
“What’s happening to us?” The basic answer was that they were laying
off their friends just to survive. The group finished their first day even
more discouraged. The second day, we talked about “What’s going to
happen in the future?” They concluded things were going to get worse
before they improved. They were more depressed than ever. On the
third day, we focused on the proactive question, “What is our
response?” In the morning, we brainstormed practical ways of
managing better and cutting costs; in the afternoon, we talked about
increasing market share. By concentrating on a few do-able things,
everyone was able to wrap up the meeting with a new spirit of
excitement and hope, eager to get back to work. We all had faced
reality, and discovered we had the power to choose a positive
response.
9. HABIT ONE – BE PROACTIVE
You can find a clue to whether you now have the proactive habit by
looking at how you speak. Do you find yourself using these
expressions? “That’s the way I am.” There’s nothing I can do about it.
“He makes me so mad!” My emotional life is outside my control. “I
have to do it.” I’m not free to choose my own actions. For all of us,
there are many things that concern us that we can’t do anything about,
for now. But there are also things we can do. Proactive people work on
their circle of influence - the people and things they can reach - and
spend less energy on their much wider circle of concern. By keeping
their focus on their circle of influence, they actually extend its area. As
you become more proactive, you will make mistakes.
10. HABIT ONE – BE PROACTIVE
While we choose our actions freely, we cannot choose their
consequences - which are governed by natural law, out in our circle of
concern. The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it
instantly, correct it, and learn from it. To delay, to deny the mistake, is
to miss its lesson. “Success,” said IBM founder T.J. Watson Sr., “is on the
far side of failure.” Try this exercise for 30 days: 1) Work only in your
smaller circle of influence; 2) Make small commitments to yourself and
others, and keep them; 3) Be a light, not a judge; be a model, not a
critic; be the solution, not the problem. If you stall to think some
important problem in your life is “out there” somewhere, stop yourself.
That thought is the problem.
12. HABIT TWO – BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
In your mind’s eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. As
you walk into the chapel, notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You
see the faces of friends and family; you feel the shared sorrow of
losing, the joy of having known. As you reach the front of the room and
look inside the casket, you suddenly come face4o-face with yourself.
This is your funeral, three years from now. Take a seat and look down at
the program in your hand. The first speaker is from your extended
family; the second is a close friend; the third is an acquaintance from
your business life; the fourth is from your church or some community-
service organization where you’ve worked. What character would you
like each of these speakers to have seen in you - what difference would
you like to have made in their lives? The second habit of effectiveness
is to begin with the end in mind.
13. HABIT TWO – BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
It means to know where you’re going so as to understand where you
are now, and take your next step in the right direction. It’s ma7’ingly
easy to get caught up in an activity trap in the busyness of life, to work
harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it’s
leaning against the wrong wall. We may be very efficient by working
frenetically and heedlessly, but we will be effective only when we begin
with the end result in mind. The best way to start is to develop a
personal mission statement. It describes what we want to be
(character) and to do (achievements). The following is from my friend
Rolfe Kerr’s personal mission statement: Succeed at home first; Seek
and merit divine help; Remember the people involved; Develop one
new proficiency a year, Hustle while you wait; Keep a sense of humor.
14. HABIT TWO – BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
You could call a personal mission statement a sort of written
constitution - its power lies in the fact that it’s fundamentally
changeless. The key to living with change is retaining a sense of who
you are and what you value. Start developing your mission statement,
like Kerr’s, from a core of principles. I mention this because all of us are
drawn away from real effective ness when we make our center
something other than our principles. Thriving on change requires a
core of changeless values. Being spouse centered might seem natural
and proper. But experience tells a different story. Over the years, I have
been called on to help many troubled marriages; the complete
emotional dependence that goes with being spouse centered often
makes both partners so vulnerable to each other’s moods that they
become resentful. The self-esteem of someone money centered can’t
weather the ups and downs of economic life; money-centered people
often put aside family or other priorities, assuming everyone will
understand that economic demands come first.
15. HABIT TWO – BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
They don’t always, and we can damage our most important
relationships by thinking that they do. Being pleasure centered cheats
one of lasting satisfactions. Too much time spent at leisure, on the
paths of least resistance, insure that our mind and spirit become
lethargic, and our heart unfulfilled. 3 We want to center our lives on
correct principles. Unlike other centers based on people and things
subject to frequent change, correct principles don’t change. We can
depend on them. Your mission statement may take you some weeks to
write, from first draft to final form; it’s a concise expression of your
innermost values and directions. Even then, you will want to review it
regularly and make minor changes as the years bring new insights. Be
guided by Vicktor Frankl, who says we detect rather than invent our
mission in life: “Everyone has his own specific vocation in life Therein
he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated.” Organizations
need mission statements.
17. HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
3 We want to center our lives on correct principles. Unlike other
centers based on people and things subject to frequent change, correct
principles don’t change. We can depend on them. Your mission
statement may take you some weeks to write, from first draft to final
form; it’s a concise expression of your innermost values and directions.
Even then, you will want to review it regularly and make minor changes
as the years bring new insights. Be guided by Vicktor Frankl, who says
we detect rather than invent our mission in life: “Everyone has his own
specific vocation in life Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life
be repeated.” Organizations need mission statements. So do families,
so that they do not simply lurch from emotional crisis to crisis - but
instead know they have principles that will support them. The key is to
have each member of the group contribute ideas and words to the final
product That contribution alone generates real commitment.
18. HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST Question: What one thing
could you do - which you aren’t doing now - that If you did it regularly,
would make a tremendous difference in your business or personal life?
The next habit involves self-leadership and self-management: putting
first things first. Leader ship decides what the “first things” are, and
management is the discipline of carrying out your program. As Peter
Drucker has pointed out, the expression “time management” is
something of a misnomer: We have a constant amount of time, no
matter what we do; the challenge we face is to manage ourselves. To
be an effective manager of yourself, you must organize and execute
around priorities. We don’t manage time. We can only I manage
ourselves. Instead of trying to fit all the things of our lives into the time
allotted, as many time management plans do, our focus here is on
enhancing relationships and achieving results. We all face the same
dilemma. We are caught between the urgent and the important.
19. HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
Something urgent requires immediate attention, it’s usually visible, it
presses on us, but may not have any bearing on our long-term goals.
Important things, on the other hand, have to do with results - they
contribute to our mission, our values, our high- priority goals. We react
to urgent matters; we often must act to take care of important matters,
even as urgent things scream for our attention. People get “harried”
away from their real goals and values by subordinating the important
to the urgent; some are beaten up by problems (in quadrants I and HI
on the “Time-Management Matrix”) all day, every day. Their only relief
is in escaping once in a while to the calm waters of quadrant IV. To
paraphrase Drucker again, effective people don't solve problems - they
pursue opportunities. They feed opportunities and starve problems.
They have genuine quadrant I emergencies, but by thinking and acting
preventively, they keep their number down. With the time-
management quadrants in mind, consider the question you answered
at the beginning of this section.
20. HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
What quadrant do your answers fit in? My guess is quadrant H: deeply
important, but not urgent And because they aren’t urgent, you don’t
do them. 4 I put a group of shopping-center managers through the
same exercise. The thing they said would make a tremendous
difference was to build helpful personal relationships with their tenants
- the owners of the stores inside the center - a quadrant II activity. We
did an analysis of how much time they spent on that activity. It was less
than 5 percent of their time. They had good reasons: urgent problems,
one after the other. Reports, meetings, calls, interruptions. Quadrant I
consumed them. The only time they did spend with store managers
was filled with negative energy: when they had to collect money or
correct advertising practices that were out-of-line. The owners decided
to be proactive. They resolved to spend one-third of their time
improving their relationships with tenants. I worked with the organi7 a
year and a half, and saw their time spent with tenants climb to 20
percent They became listeners and consultants to their tenants.
21. HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
The effect was profound. Tenants were thrilled with the new ideas and
skills the owners brought them. Sales in the stores climbed, and so did
revenues from the leases. Quadrant II activities are very powerful,
because they are closely tied to results. Your effectiveness will increase
dramatically with a small increase in those activities; your crises will be
fewer and smaller. To say “yes” to important things requires you to
learn to say no to other activities, some of them urgent Keep in mind
that you are always saying “no” to something. If it isn’t to the urgent
things in your life, it’s probably to the more fundamental, important
things.
To pursue quadrant II:
• Identify your key roles: business, family, church - whatever comes to
mind as important. Think of those you will act in for the coming week.
22. HABIT THREE – PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
To pursue quadrant II:
• Identify your key roles: business, family, church - whatever comes to
mind as important. Think of those you will act in for the coming week.
• Think of two or three important results you feel you should
accomplish in each role during the next seven days. At least some of
these goals should be quadrant II activities.
• Look at the week ahead with your goals in mind, and block out the
time each day to achieve them. Once your key goals are in place, look
how much time you have left for everything else! How well you
succeed skill depend on how resilient and determined you are at
defending your most important priorities.
24. HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
The most important word to know in mastering this habit is “listen.”
Listen to your colleagues, family, friends, customers - but not with
intent to reply, to convince, to manipulate. Listen simply to understand,
to see how the other party sees things. The skill to develop here is
empathy. Empathy is not sympathy. Sympathy is a form of agreement, a
judgment. The essence of empathic listening is not that you agree with
someone; it’s that you fully understand him, emotionally and
intellectually. Empathic listening is with the ears, eyes, and heart - for
feeling, for meaning. It’s powerful because it gives you accurate data to
work with, instead of projecting and assuming your own thoughts and
motives. You can only work with someone productively and make an
appropriate deposit in your Emotional Bank Account with him if you
understand what really matters most to him.
25. HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
4 I put a group of shopping-center managers through the same
exercise. The thing they said would make a tremendous difference was
to build helpful personal relationships with their tenants - the owners
of the stores inside the center - a quadrant II activity. We did an
analysis of how much time they spent on that activity. It was less than 5
percent of their time. They had good reasons: urgent problems, one
after the other. Reports, meetings, calls, interruptions. Quadrant I
consumed them. The only time they did spend with store managers
was filled with negative energy: when they had to collect money or
correct advertising practices that were out-of-line. The owners decided
to be proactive. They resolved to spend one-third of their time
improving their relationships with tenants. I worked with the organi7 a
year and a half, and saw their time spent with tenants climb to 20
percent They became listeners and consultants to their tenants. The
effect was profound. Tenants were thrilled with the new ideas and skills
the owners brought them.
26. HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
• Sales in the stores climbed, and so did revenues from the leases.
Quadrant II activities are very powerful, because they are closely tied
to results. Your effectiveness will increase dramatically with a small
increase in those activities; your crises will be fewer and smaller. To
say “yes” to important things requires you to learn to say no to other
activities, some of them urgent Keep in mind that you are always
saying “no” to something. If it isn’t to the urgent things in your life,
it’s probably to the more fundamental, important things.
• To pursue quadrant II:
• Identify your key roles: business, family, church - whatever comes to
mind as important. Think of those you will act in for the coming week.
• Think of two or three important results you feel you should
accomplish in each role during the next seven days. At least some of
these goals should be quadrant II activities.
27. HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
• Look at the week ahead with your goals in mind, and block out the
time each day to achieve them. Once your key goals are in place, look
how much time you have left for everything else! How well you
succeed skill depend on how resilient and determined you are at
defending your most important priorities.
HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD The
most important word to know in mastering this habit is “listen.” Listen
to your colleagues, family, friends, customers - but not with intent to
reply, to convince, to manipulate. Listen simply to understand, to see
how the other party sees things. The skill to develop here is empathy.
Empathy is not sympathy. Sympathy is a form of agreement, a
judgment. The essence of empathic listening is not that you agree with
someone; it’s that you fully understand him, emotionally and
intellectually.
28. HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
• Empathic listening is with the ears, eyes, and heart - for feeling, for
meaning. It’s powerful because it gives you accurate data to work
with, instead of projecting and assuming your own thoughts and
motives. You can only work with someone productively and make an
appropriate deposit in your Emotional Bank Account with him if you
understand what really matters most to him. 5 If the air were
suddenly sucked out of the room you’re in, your interest in this article
would wane quickly, wouldn’t it? With survival at stake, you wouldn’t
care about anything except getting air. Empathic listening can be a
powerful emotional deposit in itself, because it provides the speaker
with psychological air. When that need is met, you can work on your
agreement in an atmosphere of trust. On the second day of a seminar
in Chicago, a commercial real estate broker burst in to tell me what
had happened the night before, after class.
29. HABIT FOUR – SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN BE UNDERSTOOD
• After six months of hard work, he’d nearly closed a big deal; then at
the last minute, the clients seemed to lose interest. Another agent
with another deal was brought in, and they were ready to take the
second deal instead. The broker didn’t know what to do; he’d put all
his effort into this one deal, and now it was fizzling. He’d tried his last
sales technique; then he just asked them to their decision. But they
wanted to get it over with. So he went for broke and said to his
counter part, “Let me see if I really understand what your position is
and what your concerns about my offer are.” As he started to put
himself in the man’s shoes and describe what he saw, the man
opened up to him. In the middle of their conversation, the man stood
up, walked over to the phone, and dialed his wife. As he was waiting
for her to pick up, he explained, “You’ve got the deal.” The broker had
given him psychological air just when he needed it. It shows that
when other things are relatively equal, the human dynamic is more
important than the technical dimensions of the deal.
31. HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
Once we’ve mastered the first three habits, we’re ready to move from
the “private victory” to the “public victory.” Self and self-discipline are
the foundation of good relationships s others. We all know what a
financial bank account is. If we make de is in it, money will be there for
us to withdraw when we need it. The Emotional Bank Account is a
metaphor that describes the amount of trust that’s been built up in a
personal relationship. If into an account with you through courtesy,
kindness, honesty, and keeping my commitments to you, I build up a
reserve. Your trust for me becomes higher, and I can call on it III need
to; I can even make mistakes, and that trust level will compensate for it.
Communication is easy, instant, and effective. But if I have a habit of
showing discourtesy, disrespect, cutting you off, overreacting, betraying
your trust, or threatening you, my account gets overdrawn. The trust
level is low; what flexibility do I have? None. I am walking on mine
fields. I’m politicking; I have to measure every word. Many
organizations and many marriages are like this.
32. HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
The fourth habit, “Think win/win,” entails making an important deposit
in another person’s Emotional Bank Account: finding a way both of you
can benefit by your interaction. All the other possibilities - win/lose (I
win, you lose), lose/win (I lose, you win), and lose/lose - are ineffective,
either in the short term or the long term. The best way to approach
Win/Win dealing is to remember that it (like all agreements) embodies
a caveat: The complete description is “Win/win - or no deal.” Your
attitude should be, “I want to win, and I want you to win, If we can’t
hammer something out under those conditions, let’s agree that we
won’t make a deal this time. Maybe we’ll make one in the future.” The
president of a computer software company told me of the time he’d
signed a five-year contract to supply software to a bank. The bank
president was enthusiastic about the deal, but his people weren’t A
month later, the bank changed presidents.
33. HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
The new president came to the software company president and said,
“I am uncomfortable with these software conversions. My people are
unhappy, and I have a mess on my hands.” The computer company was
already in financial trouble at the time. It had every legal right to
enforce its contract. But the software company president responded:
“We have a contract. But we understand you’re not happy about it.
We’ll return your contract and your deposit, and if you’re ever looking
for a software solution in the future, come back and see us.” He walked
away from an $84,000 contract. It might look like financial suicide, but
he figured he didn’t want to create an unhappy customer, and his
attention to principle would pay off somehow. Three months later, the
new president called back. He was ready to put in a new software
system. They signed a contract for $240,000. If a deal hurts them, it will
hurt you.
34. HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
Using the paradigm of Win/Win requires three traits:
• Integrity - We define integrity as the value we place on ourselves: We need
to be selfaware, possessed of an independent will. We make and keep
meaningful promises and commitments to our selves and others.
• Maturity - This is the balance between courage and consideration. Simply
put, you must have enough empathy and goodwill to work for a win for
your counterpart, and enough courage to make a win for yourself.
• Abundance Mentality - You must know and believe that there is plenty out
there for everybody. Many people don’t: They think that to succeed
themselves, others must fail.
• They harbor secret hopes that other people must suffer misfortune - not
terrible misfortune, but acceptable misfortune that Will keep them in their
place.
35. HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
• The Abundance Mentality recognizes that possibilities for growth and
success are potentially limitless, and sees in others the opportunity to
complement its own strengths. Win/win is a powerful management
tool. Drucker recommends using the “manager’s letter” to define the
performance agreement between boss and employee. Alter a
thorough discussion of expectations, guidelines, and resources, the
employee writes a letter to the manager summarizing the discussion
and setting the date for the following review. With the agreement in
place, the employee can manage himself within the framework of the
agreement. The manager becomes like the pace car at an auto race:
He gets things going and gets out of the way. His job from then on is
to remove the oil spills.
36. HABIT FIVE – THINK “WIN/WIN”
When the boss becomes the first assistant to each subordinate, he
increases his span of control. Entire levels of administration can be
eliminated, and he can double or triple his managerial leverage. I once
consulted for a company that wanted me to train their retail people in
human relations: They said the employees on the selling floor were
rude. I went to their stores, and indeed, the sales help were rude. I
wondered why. “Look, we’re on top of the problem,” the company
president said. “The department heads are out there setting a great
example: Their job is two- thirds selling and one-third management.
They’re outselling everyone. Just train the sales help to sell, too.” 6 But
I went back to the store for more data. It turned out that managers
(who got sales commissions) were sending the sales help into the back
to take care of cleaning and inventory, stepping behind the cash
register and “creaming” every sale, except during the store’s most
frantic periods. That’s why they were outselling their employees.
38. HABIT SIX – SYNERGIZE
When Winston Churchill was called to lead Great Britain’s war effort, he
remarked that all his life had prepared him for this hour. In a similar
sense, the exercise of all the other habits prepares us for the habit of
synergy. Properly understood, synergy is the highest activity of life.
Through it, we create new, untapped alternatives - things that didn’t
yet exist. We unleash people’s greatest powers. We make a whole
greater than the sum of its parts. The creative process is also terrifying,
because you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen or where it’s
going to lead. You leave the comfort zone of base camp and confront
an entirely new and unknown wilderness. You become a pathfinder.
The basis of synergy is that two people can disagree, and both can be
right. It’s not logical. It’s psychological. differences between people.
Once people have been through synergy, they’re not the same.
39. HABIT SIX – SYNERGIZE
I was hired to lead discussion at the annual two-day planning meeting
for top executives of a big insurance company. The usual pattern was to
discuss major issues chosen through a questionnaire. Past meetings
had been generally respectful exchanges, and on occasion they
deteriorated into win/lose ego battles. They were usually predictable
and boring. I convinced them to commission several executives to write
anonymous “white papers,” which were passed out to all the
executives ahead of time, so they could immerse themselves in the
differing points of view. By removing both the need to be polite (and
uncreative) and the threat of other egos (since the papers were
anonymous), the release of creative energy was incredible.
40. HABIT SIX – SYNERGIZE
The executives generated new ideas and insights, and quickly made all
the white papers obsolete. Most interesting a new, common vision for
the company and its mission began to form before our eyes. Once
people have experienced real synergy, they are never quite the same
again. They know that the possibility of such mind-expanding
adventures always exists. The device that opens us to synergy’s power
depends on all the habits of effectiveness at once, requiring
confidence, integrity, and empathy. It’s all embodied in one crucial
ability: to value and exploit the mental, emotional, and psychological
differences between people. Once people have been through synergy,
they’re not the same.
42. HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW
7 HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW Suppose you come upon a man in
the woods feverishly sawing down a tree. “You look exhausted!” you
exclaim. “How long have you been at it?” “Over five hours,” he replies,
“and I am beat. This is hard.” “Maybe you could take a break for a few
minutes an sharpen that saw. Then the work would go faster.” “No
time,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing.” Habit seven is
taking time to sharpen the saw (you’re the saw). To sharpen the saw
means renewing ourselves, in all four aspects of our natures:
• Physical - exercise, nutrition, stress management
• Mental - reading, visualizing, planning, writing
• Social/Emotional - service, empathy, synergy, security
• Spiritual - spiritual reading, study, and meditation
43. HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW
To exercise in all these necessary dimensions, we must be proactive. No
one can do it for us or make it urgent for us; it is a quadrant IV activity.
For instance, exercise is a typical, high- leverage, quadrant II activity
that most of us don’t do consistently enough. We think we don’t have
time to exercise. What distorted thinking! We don’t have time not to.
We’re talking about three to six hours a week. That’s a drop in the
bucket compared with the enormous, beneficial impact on the other
162-plus hours in the week. Be proactive. If it’s mining on the morning
you’ve scheduled to jog, do it anyway. “Oh good!” you’ll cry. “It’s
raining! I get to develop my willpower as well as my body.” Reading for
your work and planning require their own allotment of quadrant II
time; and you obviously must be wise enough not to “sacrifice” much
for your profession that you neglect your family, friends, and
community.
44. HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW
• Taking care of your spiritual dimension renews your core, your center,
your commitment to all your principles. People do this in a variety of
ways. Some meditate on the scriptures. Others immerse themselves
in great literature or music, or commune with nature. To become
strong, renew the spirit. In a story called “The Turn of the Tide,”
Arthur Gordon describes a time when he found his world stale and
flat. His enthusiasm for life waned, and he was getting worse daily. A
medical doctor found nothing physically wrong with him, but said he
might be able to help if Gordon could follow his instructions for one
day. He was to spend the next day in the place where he’d been
happiest as a child. He was not to talk to anyone, nor to read, write,
or listen to the radio. The doctor then wrote out four prescriptions
and told him to open one at 9a.m., noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m.
45. HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW
• The next morning, Gordon went to the beach. His first prescription
said only this: “Listen carefully.” It seemed insane to listen to waves
for three hours. But he did it - and began to hear more and more
sounds that weren’t obvious at first. He began to think of lessons he’d
learned as a child from the sea: patience, respect for the
interdependence of things. He felt a growing peace. The noon
prescription read, “Try reaching back.” To what? He thought of the
joyful times of his childhood, and felt a growing warmth inside. The 3
p.m. message threw some cold water on him: “Examine your
motives.” At first, he was defensive. Of course he wanted success,
fame, security - he could justify them all.
46. HABIT SEVEN – SHARPEN THE SAW
But then it occurred to him that these motives weren’t good enough,
and that fact was making him stagnant. “It makes no difference,” he
wrote later, “whether you are a mailman, a hairdresser, a housewife -
whatever. As long as you feel you are serving others, you do the job
well. When you are concerned only with helping yourself you do it less
well - a law as inexorable as gravity.” When 6 p.m. came, the final
prescription didn’t take long to fill: “Write your worries on the sand.”
He knelt and wrote several words with a piece of broken shell; then he
turned and walked away. He didn’t look back; he knew the tide would
come in.