~Seven Habits of Highly Effective People~

By Stephen Covey

1. Be Proactive

"Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious, or

aggressive. It does mean recognizing our responsibility to make

things happen."

2. Begin With the End in Mind

"(This habit)...is based on imagination-- the ability to envision, to see the potential, to

create with our minds what we cannot at present see with our eyes..."

3. Put First Things First

"Create a clear, mutual understanding of what needs to be accomplished, focusing on

what, not how; results not methods. Spend time. Be patient. Visualize the desired result."

4. Think Win-Win

"Win-Win is a frame of mind that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human

interactions. Win-Win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and

satisfying."

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

"'Seek First to Understand' involves a very deep shift in paradigm. We typically seek first

to be understood. Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with

the intent to reply. They're either speaking or preparing to speak. They're filtering

everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other people's

lives."

6. Synergize

"Synergy works; it's a correct principle. It is the crowning achievement of all the previous

habits. It is effectiveness in an interdependent reality-- it is teamwork, team building, the

development of unity and creativity with other human beings."

7. Sharpening the Saw

"This is the habit of renewal...It circles and embodies all the other habits. It is the habit of

continuous improvement...that lifts you to new levels of understanding and living each of

the habits."