#7 habits of mind how to#
#7 habits of mind pdf#

Just like you get suspicious of your doctor when he prescribes you hefty antibiotics after hearing you cough just once, we don’t tend to trust people, who we think don’t really understand us. Covey calls this “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” It is a call to practice active listening and empathy. This was one of the major lessons I learned during my first 6 months as a coach: A good coach is determined much more by the quality of his questions, than by the quality of his answers. You help them structure their own thought process.You make sure you understand by repeating back to them what they said and mirroring their emotions.You’re listening to understand the person you’re listening to, not primarily to give advice or respond.Active listening is part of our “Coaching 101” on, and it is a 3-pronged approach to communication: The good thing about saying no to doing a lot of things is being able to spend a lot more time actually listening to others. He’s incredibly focused on a few things, but those things create all the meaning he needs in his life. I’ve tried to learn from Derek Sivers in this regard, who says it’s either a hell yeah, or a no. Sometimes, tempting rewards will be dangled right in front of you, which is when it’s time to pull out the funeral test again to see whether those rewards deserve to be chased. But, as Covey says: “Put First Things First.” It’s not easy, especially if money’s involved. To all those things, you’ll eventually have to say no. That means some things don’t deserve to be done at all. You’ll often find that the important things aren’t urgent and vice versa. When you know your final goal, you’ll at least have an inclination for each to-do on how important it actually is. Knowing exactly where you want to go makes it easy to find out what’s important to you, and what not. Truthfully answering those questions will make you realize you might not want that out-of-the-suitcase, business class lifestyle, or that really all you ever wanted to do was dance.

“All external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” As what sort of person do I want to be remembered?ĭepending on your number of relationships (family, friends, clients, partners, customers), you can also ask yourself how many people will be there to mourn your death.What do I want people to say about me at my funeral?.The best way, by far, to get clear about those goals is to do the funeral test. Ask yourself: Only if you’re clear about your major, long-term goals can you align each and every single one of your decisions with them. The classic analogy here is the ladder you’re climbing furiously, only to find out it’s leaned against the wrong wall when reaching the top. being efficient) is only useful when you’re plowing in the right direction. He issues a warning that plowing away and getting a massive amount of tasks done in a preferably short time (i.e. This is the habit that Covey calls “Begin with the End in Mind”.

#7 habits of mind pdf#

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.ĭownload PDF Lesson 1: Do the funeral test.

#7 habits of mind how to#

Time to learn how to become highly effective both at work and in life! The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary Let’s look at the following 3 in more detail: The last habit serves your own renewal so that you’ll never burn out or overextend yourself. When you strive for cooperation instead of competition, you’ll also “win in public” and find worldly success. The second three aim to shift your focus to interdependence. The first three serve your own independence, so that you may “win in private,” as Covey put it. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.Covey had any clue about what a success The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would be when he published it in 1990, but, even several years after his death, it’s still the bible of leadership and modern management. That’s as if the entire population of Venezuela had gotten a copy. If you hadn’t at least heard about this book, I’d be shocked.