“There are three constants in life… change, choice and principles”
said Dr covey in his best-seller book so called 7 habits of Highly Effective People.
In fact two majors points sustains his powerful message to make people be successful in their life:
-The Paradigms shift: having the capacity to change in order to understand the differences we could have with people, because we might not see something on the same way. Being able to shift our way to see things may greatly help us to adjust our selves to the objective reality regarding our sense of values, our strong beliefs.
-Being principle centered: make decisions and set up things based on character ethics, the courage, integrity, honesty, guidance, and wisdom, which are inside you.
In the meanwhile being careful to 2 things: a focus on your circle of influence (things upon which you are on control) rather than your circle of influence (full of the others weakness, behaviors) upon which you have no control. The second thing is to well balance your relation to the 3 assets that we found: physical, human and financial. To picture with the story of the poor farmer and his goose: by impatience and selfishness don’t kill the goose, which gives you golden eggs. When you want to enjoy in a lasting manner the desired product (Production) take care of what enables that production (Production Capability). That leads to Stephen Covey’s rule of Balance between P and PC.
Dr Covey’s message is the following: you are different from the animals because you can reflect, make your mind, choose, and take your responsibility with an independent will. Don’t let circumstances, feelings or environment disturb your inner sense of values. Be proactive because you are your programmer.
Now that you are aware of your capability to act, you can do so. But as we know that every decision made as his consequences on which we have no control, we have to think at the end before any decision-making. To strengthen our abilities to choose and to make, we must set up a personal mission statement. This kind of road map must be follow with discipline even if some adjustments could be further made to meet new ideas. Be scheduling your priorities so will not be overwhelmed by what you have to do, between urgent and important activities. Always seek a third solution when you are blocked in two positions while interacting with someone, it is so better when you compromise, beyond your differences. After revealing your capability to lean on yourself for effective interactions with people in an interdependent reality, you have to think every t a medium, or 3td solution when your interlocutor and you have two2 opposites. For lasting deals in business for example, think win-win. Each of you may benefit from your common deal. Leaving in an interdependent area means you have to struggle every day to provide the better environment possible to people in order to win their trust, confidence before coming up with their insight instead of polite or defensive communication. Creating a synergy among a gathering of people for a purpose is the basis or wonderful ideas to reach success out. And one of the more important point to notice in Dr Covey message is to be taking care of one of the most great assets we have: ourselves through four dimensions. Physical with exercises and wealthy nutrition, social by keeping our character ethics in our daily interaction with people, mental by seeking more knowledge been opened to new ideas, spiritual by clarifying and keeping our commitments through factors like meditation or prayers so that we never lose the track. I can’t end this review without hammering that quote from Stephen Covey and that I hope will make sense to people seeking effectiveness through their character ethics: “Achieving unity-oneness-with our self, with our loved ones, with our friends and working associates, is the highest and most delicious fruit of the Seven Habits”.
To me Stephen Covey touched at the hurting point, since many people like so much “quick fixes”, how to quickly handle relentless difficulties, to get the success in a fast way, to suddenly go from Rag to rich. Anyway we can find out why many business, many family lives were shining just went downs from one day to another; the response is upon what they have been built, and how they have been handled (PC/P balance). That is why I value very much the fact that Dr Covey insisted on the fact that we have to be principle-centered: that suggest us to work on our character ethic, because anything can take some one to the top, but nothing more than what character can maintain you there, since there are in you, since they are you.
inapon@asu.edu
Goldenapon.wordpress.com
The 7 habits is a well known book around the world for those who seek efficiency within current organizations. Many leaders rely on this book, looking into their professional needs.