It's a truth that many of us are conditioned to live our lives reacting to everything and everyone around us. But, being proactive enables us to be more responsive than reactive to everyday vicissitudes.A simple start may be to change our language from, "I can't" to "I choose not to". This makes us responsible and more in control of our problems than allowing them to influence our behaviour.

Be proactive - Habit 1.

One of the key things to grab from the Seven habits is the ability to listen deeply to another person before throwing down our own conclusions.Many of us have the habit of listening only with the intent of eliciting our response rather than to fully understand and empathize with the true nature of another person.To communicate effectively and emphatically, we need to seek the latter.

Seeking to understand first before being understood - Habit 5. 

Synergy is the language of "we".Although many of us see life as this game or race that you have to win to succeed, that is far from the truth.To truly live a life that is fulfilling and impactful, we need to understand that we live in an interdependent reality, that means, recognizing that even if you are equipped with the capabilities needed to achieve a goal, you know that cooperating with others would enable you to achieve far more than you could have done by yourself.

Synergize - Habit 6. 

As you work on improving these aspects of your life. It would be of good practice that you maintain other essential parts of your well-being to keep you feeling renewed and energised, this is termed "Sharpening the saw".Examples may include:•Participating in a healthy exercise regime.•Having a good and healthy diet plan.•Meditating to increase levels of internal peace and spiritual awareness.

Sharpen the saw - Habit 7.

Covey made us realize that six basic philosophies guide human interaction in our workplace and in our personal lives. These are:•Lose•Lose/Win•Win/Lose•Win•Lose/LoseAnd the last one, which is the point of this discussion is the Win/Win interaction.As counterintuitive as it may seem, not all situations can be Win/Win even though we are striving for the mutual good of both parties if no middle point is agreed on.

Think Win/Win - Habit 4.

To begin with the end in mind simply means that in everything that you commit to doing, your feelings should be secondary to your values.Making this choice to have more value-based than feeling-based decisions incorporated into your everyday life would lead to an overall sense of fulfillment.Cover explained that, when we act based on our feelings, we mostly act impulsively, which sometimes causes us to make decisions that we would later regret or that are not in line with our principles or goals.

Begin with the end in mind - Habit 2. 

In this habit, Covey addresses four quadrants that pertain to everyday life.•Urgent and important: Crises, pressing problems.•Not urgent and important: Relationship building, Planning and recreation.•Not important and urgent: Interruptions, some calls, some mails.•Not important and not urgent: Trivia, busy work, time wasters Priorities should given to them according to their relative importance to avoid feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.

Put first things first - Habit 3. 

A revolutionary guidebook to achieving peace of mind by seeking the roots of human behavior in character and by learning principles rather than just practices. Covey's method is a pathway to wisdom and power.

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The 7 habits of highly effective people is recognised as one of the most influential books ever written. In this seminal work, Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. The 7 Habits have become so famous because they work. From Habit 1: Be Proactive and Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind, millions of People have worked their way through the 7 and found in them a key to transforming their lives. This book has been the key to the success of legions of business leaders and individuals the world over.

Stephen R. Covey is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Stephen R. Covey has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Stephen R. Covey's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Seeking to understand first before being understood - Habit 5.

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