Habits for Success

 7 Habits of Highly Effective People


    Many people have read, or at least heard of, the book called, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," by Steven R. Covey. This book as been highly acclaimed and millions of copies have been sold all around the world. It has brought many people to change and led them to become successful. It's a book that often needs to be re-read and have notes taken while reading it. Have you ever thought about why?

    I believe that principles of success are inherit, natural laws that God has set and that this world abides by. For example, people will naturally gravitate towards people who are good leaders, have caring personalities, show that they have their priorities straight, and people who are good at managing time, not wasting it. These are some of the things that are discussed in the book, but they are things that most people can get and know already a little bit. Why, then are some books more effective and famous that others? I think that it's the way the information is presented. The way that the author makes you feel the book is for you, just you. If you can write in such an easy, relatable manner, yet still teach simply and correctly, then people will enjoy it and learn from it.

    I recently read some of the book, and one of the habits that the author mentions is 'Begin with the end in mind.' This habit is #2, and is something that has always stuck with me. People much too often today, don't have a vision for where they want to go in life, or they don't believe they will be ever different, that their life will just 'come' to them. This is a very passive way of living and thinking. People allow themselves to be 'acted upon,' instead of acting for themselves. You need to take control of your life, in order to feel fulfilled at the end of it. Sure, you can just float through life and let things happen to you, but this won't fulfill your potential. 

    Beginning with the end in mind means that you have a vision, that you have an image in your mind of what you want to be at the end of your life. You can try to physically manifest that on paper, and think about that end goal in life. That can mean the character that you have, the success that you create, the significance that you have on other's lives, or the relationships you created. By having this in your mind, then you know where you want to go. Covey suggests that you have a mission statement, so you can know by what principle and values you need to live by in order to get to that end goal in life. It also is about the journey getting there, however, that you become and learn things that are just as memorable as the end point you want to get to.

    This habit #2 also mentions that you need to take moments to stop, look around, and evaluate your life, so that you can make sure you are on track, and that you haven't wandered too far off in the wrong direction. This will help you evaluate your time as well to make sure you are not just 'keeping busy,' doing things that aren't getting to where you ultimately want to be. You need to be productive, not just busy. 

    Overall, this habit is something that I think is essential to anyone wanting to change their life, either in a big direction, or could be just through small adjustments. This is important to evaluate doing every so often, and also important to share with others. Once you know where you are going, and want to go, sharing with someone else that goal will help you be accountable, and you can invite others to do the same and have a common goal to develop together.

    

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