We've all experienced that surge of inspiration after reading a transformative self-help book, only to find ourselves struggling to translate those insights into lasting change. This guide is here to bridge the gap between inspiration and action, offering step-by-step instructions to help you install the life-changing habits outlined in the popular self-help book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'.
What Are the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People?
The 7 habits of highly effective people is a best-selling self-help book by Stephen Covey. Covey explores how the very definition of success has changed over time. Financial security might seem like the ultimate goal, but it often leaves people feeling unfulfilled in other areas like relationships or personal growth.
In the book Stephen Covey provides a framework of 7 habits that help you take control of your life, increase your productivity, build stronger relationships and ultimately live a successful and fulfilling life.
Building New Habits
Before we dive into the habits, let's take a quick look at some guidelines provided by James Clear, author of the best-selling habit book 'Atomic Habits', on how to install new habits.
Build one habit at a time: It’s easier to dedicate your focus and willpower to a single habit. This increases the chances of it sticking. Trying to manage too many changes can be overwhelming and lead to inconsistency.
Use the habit formation system:
Make it obvious: Prepare your environment (physical or digital) so that you're reminded of the habit. For instance, if you want to go for a run, put your running shoes next to your bed.
Make it attractive: Attractive activities are more likely to become habit-forming. Pair your new habit with something you already enjoy.
Make it easy: Begin with a very manageable version of your desired habit. For instance, instead of aiming for a 30-minute workout, start with just 5 minutes.
Make it satisfying: Celebrate your wins: This could be a short break to do something you enjoy or a checkmark on a habit tracker. One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.
Be patient and persistent: Building habits takes time and repetition. Don't get discouraged by setbacks. View them as learning opportunities and keep moving forward.
The 7 Habits
Be proactive: Take initiative in your life and focus on what you can influence.
Begin with the end in mind: Define your goals before starting and create a clear vision.
Put first things first: Prioritize tasks based on importance and align with your goals and vision.
Think win-win: Seek cooperation over competition and look for mutually beneficial solutions.
Seek first to understand, then to be understood: Listen empathetically before expressing yourself.
Synergize: Collaborate for greater outcomes and value diverse perspectives.
Sharpen the saw: Renew yourself regularly in body, mind, and spirit for ongoing effectiveness.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
This habit is all about taking initiative. It involves taking full responsibility for your life and focusing solely on the things that are within your control.
Why It's Important
Focusing on things outside of your control is a waste of energy and time. You can’t change them, and you will become frustrated, demotivated, and give others control of your life. Blaming others or external circumstances will not help you get ahead; it will ensure you remain stuck where you are.
By being proactive, you don’t blame circumstances, conditions, or others. Instead, you focus on the things within your control and try to realize change through them. You work on things you can do something about, which always results in progress.
“Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions” - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
Be proactive:
When a problem arises, look for the first step you can take towards solving it. Avoid blaming external circumstances.
When setting a new goal, identify potential obstacles and try to address them proactively before they become problematic.
Take full control of your life by defining your ideal life. Use this vision to proactively set goals that move you towards it.
Practice daily:
Remind yourself every morning to take initiative.
Create the habit "Be Proactive" in your to-do app.
Build momentum and reflect on your progress by tracking your habit streak
Download Griply for free to track habits, identify obstacles for your goals and to create a life vision for every area of your life.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 2 is about visualizing what success means. Take control of your life by envisioning your desired future. This clarity allows you to make choices aligned with your long-term goals.
Why It's Important
Without a clear vision of success, it's difficult to make decisions that move you in the right direction. You become reactive and you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. By defining your ideal future, you gain a sense of purpose and direction. You can then set goals and make choices that propel you towards that vision.
“Through imagination, we can visualize the uncreated worlds of potential that lie within us” - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
Specify all areas of your life that are important to you
Write down what you want to achieve and what success means for each life area
Set goals for yourself that bring you closer to your vision
Every quarter take the time to review your long-term vision and update it with new insights and learnings.
Download Griply for free to create a vision for every area of your life, update it frequently and set goals that move you closer towards your vision.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
The third habit involves managing your time effectively to prioritize meaningful tasks. It entails setting weekly goals and prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency.
Why It's Important
Your time is finite, and if you're aiming for tangible progress on your goals, investing most of it in meaningful tasks is crucial. Reacting impulsively to every demand can significantly delay your progress. As your to-do list expands with seemingly urgent but trivial tasks, the vital ones often get sidelined.
Covey crafted a Time Management Matrix, categorizing all your tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance.
Time Management Matrix
Quadrant 1: Tasks that are both important and urgent, requiring immediate attention.
Quadrant 2: The heart of effective personal management. This is where you focus on important tasks that aren't necessarily urgent. These include building relationships, creating a vision, setting life goals, planning, and exercising.
Quadrant 3: Tasks in this quadrant are often assigned by someone else who perceives them as important and urgent. This results in a short-term focus, which can interfere with working on your goals.
Quadrant 4: Tasks that are often just time-wasters. It is still easy to spend time in this quadrant because trivial busywork is satisfying and easy to execute.
Effective people avoid quadrants 3 and 4 because tasks in those quadrants, whether urgent or not, are not important. Instead, they allocate most of their time to quadrant 2. This focus on quadrant 2 results in vision, perspective, balance, discipline, control, and fewer crises.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
Prepare and review your week:
Define your goals for the upcoming week.
Plan the upcoming week and prioritize tasks that contribute to your goals.
Close your week with a weekly review to understand how you have spent your time. Use lessons learned to improve for the next week.
Manage incoming tasks:
Prioritize incoming tasks using the time management matrix and try to spend most of your time in quadrant 2.
Learn to say no to tasks that are not aligned with your priorities.
Download Griply for free to set your priorities, plan your upcoming week, and manage all your to-dos.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
This habit is about seeking mutually beneficial outcomes in all your interactions. You should approach every situation with the intention of finding a solution that benefits all parties, not just yourself.
Why It's Important
Many people view life as a competition, believing that for them to win, someone else has to lose. This mindset not only reduces your chances for success but also hinders relationship development and cooperation.
This habit encourages a shift in perspective. By seeking win-win solutions, you can build stronger relationships, create a more cooperative environment, and ultimately achieve greater success. Big brands frequently employ this approach, collaborating with celebrities to reach new audiences in exchange for a share of the profits. In such partnerships, everybody wins.
“Win-Win sees life as a cooperative, not a competitive area” - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
Identify win-win opportunities:
When discussing potential collaborations, start by understanding their needs and concerns. Actively listen and acknowledge their viewpoints. This helps you to come up with solutions that benefit both parties.
When discussing potential collaborations, start by understanding their needs and concerns. This helps you to come up with solutions that benefit both parties.
Practice daily:
Remind yourself every morning to approach the day with a win-win mindset.
Create the habit "Think Win-Win" in your to-do app.
Build momentum and reflect on your progress by tracking your habit streak.
Download Griply for free to track your habits, manage your goals, and keep an eye on your habit streak.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 5 focuses on empathic listening, prioritizing the understanding of another person's perspective before attempting to communicate your own.
Why It's Important
Your communication skills are among the most valuable assets in life. However, many people only learn half of the communication process. We spend years mastering techniques to persuade, convey our views, and present our ideas. As a result, most people listen with the intent to reply. Their primary focus is on communicating their own point of view. As a result, they fail to actively listen to the other person as they are already formulating their reply in their mind and thinking about the next question to ask.
By prioritizing a clear understanding of the other person's point of view, you will notice that your conversations deepen significantly. This leads to better ideas, more effective collaboration, and ultimately, stronger relationships.
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
While in a conversation:
Begin by actively listening and giving the speaker your full attention, avoiding interruptions.
Ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand their point of view.
Summarize key points to confirm that you're on the same page.
Communicate your own view afterward.
Practice daily:
Remind yourself every morning to start conversations with the intention of understanding.
Create the habit 'Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood' in your to-do app.
Build momentum and reflect on your progress by tracking your habit streak.
Download Griply for free to track your habits and reflect on your habit streak.
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 6 focuses on the power of teamwork and collaboration. It encourages us to seek opportunities to work together. It embodies the saying 'two heads are better than one.
Why It's Important
Collaboration brings diverse perspectives and experiences to the table, fostering innovation, sparking new solutions, and leading to superior outcomes. The key lies in valuing these differences and combining strengths. When people openly share ideas and influences, they gain new insights and exponentially increase problem-solving capabilities.
Valuing differences truly drives synergy, they should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses.
"Once people have experienced real synergy, they are never quite the same again." - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
Identify opportunities that benefit from team work
Assess your goals and projects to pinpoint those that will benefit from greater teamwork.
Ensure that everyone involved understands the common objective and is working towards the same outcome, fostering a sense of unity and purpose.
Brainstorm with individuals who offer different viewpoints, as a mix of backgrounds often leads to the most innovative solutions.
Encourage open communication where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and concerns, fostering trust and enabling constructive conflict resolution.
Practice daily:
Remind yourself every morning that "two heads are better than one."
Create the habit "Synergize" in your to-do app.
Build momentum and reflect on your progress by tracking your habit streak.
Download Griply for free to track your habits, manage your goals, and reflect on your habit streak.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
This habit focuses on self-renewal. It addresses the importance of enhancing your physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual well-being. This continual sharpening keeps you energized, effective, and ultimately more successful in all areas of life.
Why It's Important
Stephen Covey provides a compelling example that illustrates this habit perfectly. He talks about two woodworkers who both saw trees. One woodworker works until late in the evening, while the other stops early to go home. At the end of the week, the woodworker who stopped early every day has produced more wood. The woodworker who works the most hours doesn’t understand; he works more hours but still gets less done. How is this possible, he asks. The other woodworker replies, 'Oh, I stop early to sharpen my saw.'
You are your greatest asset, so take good care of yourself. By ensuring that you are in the best shape possible, covering physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental aspects, you will drastically improve your performance.
Stephen Covey identifies four key dimensions that require regular renewal:
Physical: Regular exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep are essential for physical well-being. A healthy body provides the foundation for a sharp mind and a positive outlook.
Mental: Read frequently, visualize your goals, plan your week, and reflect on your thoughts.
Social/Emotional: Dedicate time to connect with loved ones, build strong social bonds, and nurture meaningful relationships. Strong social connections contribute to overall happiness and well-being.
Spiritual: Connect with your inner self. This could involve meditation, prayer, spending time in nature, or any activity that fosters a sense of purpose and meaning in your life.
"An increasingly educated conscience will propel us along the path of personal freedom, security, wisdom, and power." - Stephen Covey
How to Implement This Habit
Physical
Establish a habit of getting enough sleep.
Incorporate a habit of exercising 3-5 times a week.
Establish a habit of consuming healthy food.
Mental
Develop a habit of learning for 20 minutes every day (reading, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos).
Visualize your goals regularly.
Prepare yourself for the week ahead.
Journal daily to reflect on and learn from your experiences.
Social/Emotional
Set goals for relationships you want to improve
Spiritual
Establish a habit of frequent meditation.
Establish a habit of frequent prayer.
Spend time in nature weekly.
Download Griply for free to track your habits, visualize your goals, prepare for your week ahead, and reflect on your habit streak.
