Habits of a Highly Effective Person – Part 1

Welcome to the first, of a seven-part series on Habits of Highly Effect People by Stephen R Covey.

Welcome to the first, of a seven-part series on Habits of Highly Effect People by Stephen R Covey.

In this series we will look at seven habits, identified by Covey, designed to help you to change your lifestyle, and in return, become a highly effective person. This resource intends to give a useful overview of these ideas, and will hopefully inspire you to read the book in full.

If you enjoy reading this, and are looking forward to upcoming parts of this series; then why not check out one of our personal development courses. We have an incredibly informative one: Personal Planning and Organisational Skills. 

Habit One: Be proactive, not reactive.

In case you were not aware, we are all human. We will all face challenges in life, some more difficult than others, but it is how we respond to these that determine whether we are proactive or a reactive person.

Take a game of cricket for example; if you are fielding and the ball comes your way, you do not just wait for the ball to be at your feet, you attack it, covering as much ground as possible, so that you can get to it quicker and prevent the opposing team scoring runs.

This is how we should be dealing with our problems. Instead of being reactive for the event to happen, we should be proactive, take charge and assume responsibility of our life.

So, how do we be proactive with our life?

Spend half an hour, just writing down all your concerns about your life;  may be tough but write them down. These will represent your concerns. Take a break and then come back to the list. What do you have influence over? It may be small, but even a tiny amount can control an outcome. Once you have finished reading your list, you should notice that you have far more influence over your concerns than you originally thought. Therefore, you have a list of concerns but also a list of ways to influence these.

Next, watch your language! How we speak guides how we see the world; if you speak reactively then you are more likely to be more reactive, the same if you speak more proactively, then you are likely to be more proactive.

Such reactive phrases include:

• There’s nothing I can do

• That’s just the way I am 

• They makes me so angry

• They won’t allow that

• I have to do that

• I can’t

• I must

• If only

Replace these phrases with more proactive ones such as:

• Let’s look at our alternatives

• I can choose a different approach

• I control how I respond to this

• I choose

• I prefer

• I will

• Take action no matter how small

Remember:

Act, don’t be acted upon; be proactive, not reactive.

So, there we have it, our summary of the first habit of highly effective people, as identified by Stephen R Covey. In Part Two, we will look at:

• Begin with an end in mind

If you have enjoyed reading this, and are looking forward to the future parts of this series; then why not check out one of our personal development courses. We have an incredibly informative one: Personal Planning and Organisational Skills. Why not check it out here.