Do you feel like you are your very best version of you? Are you striving daily to be just a little bit better or are you just exhausted and stressed?
This book is a great way to check yourself! Are you able to create habits that will help you show up for your job at work or at home? Are you highly effective at what you do?
If you have not read this book, you need to get your hands on it! You can grab your own copy here.
I stumbled across this book after hearing a podcast about highly effective schools. Come to find, my husband had already read the book. Many companies in the corporate world promote personal growth by having their teams read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The habits just make sense.
When we, as individuals create good habits, then we can work towards being a little better each day. When we are at our own personal best, then we can become more effective for the people who count on us: our friends, colleagues, partners, family members, neighbors and our community.
Do you feel like you are highly effective?
What are the 7 Habits?
Habit 1: Be Proactive
This means we are taking responsibility for our actions and choices. We can own up to what we do, what we say, and how we act. We can teach our work teams, kids, students, and others best, by being a model. We are in the driver’s seat. Being proactive means that we can think ahead to the end result and plan accordingly so that we can make good choices. The choices we make are in our control.
Are you proactive when you make decisions in your everyday life?
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
When we think about the end result before we set out to do something, it helps us to plan, organize, and do the task effectively. Let me give you an example that happened in our own home…
My daughter really struggles with multitasking. She has difficulty getting herself ready in the morning without forgetting something. We found a strategy called Get Ready, Do, Done. You can read more about this strategy in my previous blog post called Tackling the Morning Routine. This strategy allows you to see the end result (for her this is a picture of how she looks when she is ready for school), plan what needs to be done, organize the materials needed to do it, and then get it done. The best part is… IT WORKS!!!!
This led me to wonder, how teaching the 7 habits at home would effect my kids. Could this help them to be more effective in their own daily tasks and encounters with others.
I believe that the 7 Habits encompass having a growth mindset and executive function skills…WHICH WE MUST DEVELOP IN OUR KIDS AND STUDENTS.
Do you set goals and decide how you can contribute to achieving those goals?
Can you see where you want to be 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years from now?
Have you planned out how you are going to contribute to those goals?
Habit 3: Put 1st Things 1st
This means getting the most important things done first. When you have a list of things to do, you must decide what is the most important thing to get done first. What will get you to your end goal fastest.
I like to use a planner. I plan out my long term goals by breaking them down into shorter term goals. I make a weekly to do list as well as a daily to do list. Getting my jobs in order, and putting 1st things 1st, lowers the stress and anxiety of all that need to be done. It also helps when we get distracted by the day to day junk!
Do you think 1st things 1st?
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
This is more of a belief system. The more you are intentional about thinking Win/Win, the more naturally you will have this belief. It means that you believe there are enough good things for everyone. It’s not all about you…it’s not all about them…it’s a Win/Win!
This is really great when you have to make a compromise. You can tackle a conversation or decision by thinking Win/Win. This is a mindset of an effective leader, parent, teacher, friend, teammate, sibling, etc. When you go into a discussion with a Win/Win mindset you will have a lot less resistance.
Do you think Win/Win when you talk with you boss, coworkers, spouse, or kids?
Habit 5: Seek 1st to Understand, then to be Understood
This means you listen first, understand where the other person is coming from, and then speak to share your point of view.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
James 1:19
This verse from the Bible get me everytime…I am so quick to speak…I have to be very intentional about not interrupting and being a good listener. This is something that I plan to practice, until it becomes a habit!
You have 2 ears and 1 mouth and you should use them in that same proportion.
Epictetus, a Greek philosopher
My former Superintendent used this quote years ago to illustrate how effective school leaders and teachers can understand their teams and their students. We must understand others point of view, even if we disagree. When we do this, they will be more likely to understand us.
Do you take the time to 1st understand, then be understood?
Habit 6: Synergize
This means working together to make great ideas happen. When we take our ideas and the ideas of others, we can be highly effective. Working as a team is so much better! Just like that old saying 2 minds are better than one! Well, you have to allow those two minds to work together to create something beautiful! What happens when you do this is synergy.
Are you able to brainstorm with others, collaborate, compromise, and create synergy?
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
This habit is all about being in balance. Now more than ever this is important. Everyone is so stressed. We cannot be highly effective in any one area if we are not healthily balanced: body, mind, heart, and soul
Do you take time each day to work on your body, mind, heart, and soul? This is the 7th habit, but in my opinion, it’s the most important. If you are not taking care of yourself, how can you show up for others? How do you expect to be highly effective at home or at work, if you are not taking care of yourself.
Are you taking care of yourself so that you are well balanced?
So what are you going to do about it?
The truth is, when you take care of yourself, only then can you be most effective in what you do. I’m learning, that we cannot make a difference in our careers, or at home, or in the lives of others, if we are not taking care of ourselves. When we are physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy, we can strive to be the best version of ourselves.
I am a teacher! I love teaching!! I would say that “teacher” is my identity. Since moving to Michigan one year ago, I’ve been searching for what the next big thing is for me to accomplish! I’ve been doing a lot of research about developmental growth in kids, effective teaching strategies, and effective school culture. I’ve been navigating personal growth and development. All of my research continues to point back to having a growth mindset and strengthening executive function skills so that our students/kids can be highly effective at learning.
Isn’t that what we want? Highly Effective Learners?
As I learn how important all of this is in being highly effective, it motivates me to want to make a difference for my own kids, students, and schools.
Just think…
If this were taught in schools and in home, how much more effective would our kids be. These 7 habits are tools that will allow them to be highly effective people. This is what I want for my own family.
I mean, how cool would it be, if every child learned the 7 habits as young children. Think about how effective they would be as teenagers, young adults, professionals. Why wait to see if they stumble upon this on their own?
Let’s Take Action!
As I read all of these 7 habits, I just naturally think to myself, if I can create these habits as an adult, why not teach them to my children now. Why not start living it now?
Parents…we can be proactive in creating the kind of family we want to have!
Teachers…we can be proactive in creating the kind of students we want to have.
Administrators…we can be proactive in creating the school culture we want to have.
Let’s do a Book Club!!!
Who wants to join me in striving to be highly effective and bring what we learn into our classrooms and homes!
I am going to start a book club using The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families! If you would like to join me, there are 3 simple things you need to do:
- Buy the book or get it from your local library. You can click here to order it on amazon.
- Sign up for the book club so that I can send you weekly emails that discuss each habit.
- Join my private Facebook Group so that we can synergize by sharing and supporting each other in developing highly effective habits.
Let’s Enjoy Being Their Difference Together!
Who is with me?
