Seven Habits

Have you ever heard or even you have read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? It's a great book for you who want to be more effective to treat yourself and to treat others. I have attended a training a year ago, most of the material indirectly based on the seven habits. The seven habits consist of be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw.

Do you know that The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has been written in teens version and kids version? Sean Covey as the son of Stephen R. Covey wrote them as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 7 Habits of Happy Kids. Sadly I haven't read teens version. Here I want to tell you the seven habits from kids version. Don't underestimate it. Indeed it was written for parents or teachers to teach their kids, but from this book we can learn the seven habits from an easier angle. Find the fun for learn a new thing. Here we go.

1. Be Proactive means you are in charge. For every little things in our life we are in charge. Just like when you're bored, you can make your own fun. You don't need others to make it happen. Just look around and think about it. You'll find something fun to do. So do your life.
2. Begin with End in Mind. That means making a list for a day, a month, a year, a decade. With a list you know where you'll go then you know more what to do. Less time wasted of course. You should have planned ahead, as they saying goes, "A goal not written is only a wish". Planning ahead  always leads to good things. The sooner you finish your own, the more you have time to help others. 
3. Put First Things First. You shouldn't procrastinate. Most of us are in trouble with this one. We are all somewhat addicted to doing the urgent thing or the easier thing first. I think it's okay to leave the "do the easier part first", sometimes we have to "do the hardest part first" to practice this third habit. As a wise person once put it, "Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do". Work first, then play.
4. Think Win-Win. Thinking win-win or always thinking about another as well as yourself. After all, life isn't just about me, and it's not just about you - it's about both of us. Everyone can win.
5. Seek First to Understand then To Be Understood. For sure, the deepest need of the human heart's is to be understood. We're taught how to read, write, and speak. But we're not taught how to listen, which is the most important communication skill of all. Listening with our ears isn't good enough, because less than 10 percent of communication contained in the words we use. The rest comes from body language and the tone and feeling reflected in our voice. As Lily Skunk said to Jumper Rabbit in the book, "You have to listen with your heart and your eyes, not just your ears". Listen before you talk.
6. Synergize. Valuing differences and then working together to create a better solution than what anyone could do alone. It is when 1 + 1 = 3 or more. Almost in every aspects of our life we met others. When we work in a team, we need each other. Indeed sometimes it's difficult working with others, but we can use synergy with starting focusing on each of our unique strength. Everyone has things that he/she is really good at. It's just Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much". Together is better. 
7. Sharpen the Saw. This one means balance in life. As you have heard before, every good thing will be bad if the dose is excessive. So do our life too. We all feel better when we're balanced, when we take time to renew the four parts of who we are: body, heart, mind, and soul. And to be healthy and happy, all four parts need time and attention. Habit 7 - Sharpen the saw is all about finding that balance. Let us never be too busy sawing to take time to sharpen the was.

That's it. See what a simple way how the book tells us how to practice the seven habits. Let's be effective and happy people.

From one to seven, here's the thing :

• Start with you - Be proactive, you are in charge - Begin with the end in mind, have a plan - Put first thing first, work first then play.
• Then play well with others - Think win-win, everyone can win - Seen first to understand then to be understood, listen before you talk - Synergize, together is better.
• And remember to take care of yourself - Sharpen the saw, balance feels best.

PS.

This article is taken from The Seven Habit of Happy Kids by Sean Covey. Most of words are its, not pure from my mind.