Finding IT: Getting to the Heart of Habits
“Can you believe, Jarred, that I got my book signed and a picture with my teacher andhero, Stephen Covey!”“With who?”“Stephen Covey.”“Who is that?”“You’re kidding, right?”“No.”“Remember the book I gave you for your birthday,
The 7 Habits of Highly EffectivePeople
? He’s the world-renown author of that book.”“Oh him.”You see my big brother, Jarred, and I have different passions. He loves anything to dowith sports and I love anything to do with self-development. So him not knowing whoStephen Covey is in the self-development arena is like me not knowing who MichaelJordan is in the sports arena (I do know who Jordan is, by the way). The good news isthat the last time I talked with Jarred he was on the third chapter of
7 Habits
andhumbling words like, “mission, habits.” There still is hope for him!I’ve met my hero or teacher three times. The first time I “met” Covey was in 1995 when Ifirst read his book. I started to embrace the first three habits, which have to do withpersonal effectiveness for yourself. The first habit, “Be Proactive,” is making the choiceto be responsible for your life. Creating a mission statement is the essence of thesecond habit, “Begin With the End in Mind.” A philosophy around effective timemanagement is what the third habit, “Put First Things First,” is all about.The second time I “met” my hero was the beginning of 2001 when I got certified to teachthe
7 Habits
program. This opportunity allowed me to embrace the next three habits,which have to do with interpersonal effectiveness with others. “Think Win-Win,” thefourth habit, is about developing a mentality of creating mutually beneficial relationships.The method for creating these types of relationships, empathic listening, is the fifth habitreferred to as “Seek First to Understand and Then be Understand.” Implementing thesetwo habits results in the ability to “Synergize,” the sixth habit.The third time I “met” my hero was the fall of 2001 when I attended the FranklinCoveyInternational Symposium in Utah. I do believe the cliché that the third time is a charmbecause the third time I “met” Covey it was actually in person! (I even have proof of our in-person encounter with a cherished picture and a signed book.) Living out the seventhhabit was the reason I was at the symposium. This habit, “Sharpen the Saw,”encompasses enhancing four dimensions in your work/life: mental, social/emotional,physical and spiritual.Meeting him – in person – came full circle for me. The first time I met Covey through hisbook, his words of wisdom started me out on the journey of personal effectiveness anddiscovering my life’s mission. The third time I met him six years later in person, I wasclose living out my life’s mission – starting a fulltime training and consulting businesswith expertise in human resource development as well as spirit in the workplace.Stephen Covey’s work with the
7 Habits
in the early 1990s is considered one of thecritical pioneers on connecting spirituality and the workplace (part of the seventh habit).
of 00
Habits FREE Article
330 Reads
Info and Rating
| Category: | Uncategorized. |
| Rating: | |
| Upload Date: | 06/02/2009 |
| Copyright: | Attribution Non-commercial |
| Tags: |
Leave a Comment