Also from FranklinCovey

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

The 7 Habits of Happy Kids

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

The 5 Choices

The 8th Habit

The Leader in Me

First Things First

Management Mess to Leadership Success

Project Management for the Unofficial

Project Manager

THE 7HABITS

ON THE GO

Timeless Wisdom for a Rapidly Changing World

Inspired by the wisdom

of Stephen R. Covey

By Sean Covey

CORAL GABLES

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The 7 Habits on the Go: Timeless Wisdom for a Rapidly Changing World, Inspired by the Wisdom of Stephen R. Covey

ISBN: (p) 978-1-64250-435-4 (e) 978-1-64250-436-1

BISAC: BUS071000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership

Printed in the United States of America

“People can’t live with change if there’s not a changeless core inside them.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO THE HABITS

Define Effectiveness

Model Good Character

Check Your Paradigms

HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE

Pause Between Stimulus and Response

Become a Transition Person

Banish Reactive Language

Speak Proactively

Shrink Your Circle of Concern

Expand Your Circle of Influence

Have a Proactive Day

HABIT 2: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Define Outcomes Before You Act

Celebrate Your 80th Birthday

Refine Your Mission Statement

Rethink a Relationship

Share Your Mission Statement

Balance Your Roles

HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST

Set a Goal

Use Your Time Well

Prepare for Quadrant 1

Live in Quadrant 2

Plan Your Week

Stay True in the Moment of Choice

Eliminate the Unimportant

Keep Your Commitments

PRIVATE VICTORY TO PUBLIC VICTORY

Build Your Emotional Bank Accounts

Apologize

Forgive

HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN

Consider Other People’s Wins as Well as Your Own

Avoid the Scarcity Mentality

Cultivate an Abundance Mentality

Balance Courage and Consideration

Make a Win-Win Agreement

Give Credit

HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND,

THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD

Practice Empathic Listening

Open Your Heart

Avoid Autobiographical Listening

Seek to be Understood

Bring Empathic Communication to the Digital World

HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE

Learn from Differences

Solve a Problem with Synergy

Seek 3rd Alternatives

Value Differences

Rate Your Openness to Differences

Take Down Barriers

Leverage the Strengths of Others

HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW

Achieve the Daily Private Victory

Strengthen Your Body

Renew Your Spirit

Sharpen Your Mind

Develop Your Heart

Take Time for Yourself

Tame Your Technology

BONUS FEATURES

Mission Statement Builder

Visualize Your Legacy

Mission Statement Questionnaire

Inspiring Thoughts on Missions and Goals

Affirmations on the Go

7 Quick Takeaways from The 7 Habits on the Go

Stephen R. Covey

Foreword

In my nearly twenty-five years working with the FranklinCovey company, the world leader in performance improvement, it never ceases to amaze me how many people around the world refer to our co-founder, Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s seminal book—The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—as The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People or The 7 Habits of Highly Efficient People. To those who get the title wrong, it may seem like a minor difference, but in fact, Dr. Covey was quite deliberate and intentional about why he referred to these as being the habits of effective people.

Everything Dr. Covey worked for was geared towards building people’s effectiveness, so, it’s important not to lose the gravity of that—the deliberation and intentionality of his passion and legacy to help people grow in their effectiveness, not only with themselves, but in their interactions with others.

The first three habits focus on how to be effective in your own life; they are about the “private victory,” the victory with self. Mastery over your own behaviors, attitude, priorities, mission, and purpose. The next three habits concern our interactions with others. The “public victory” relates to our interpersonal relationships, as a parent, spouse, leader, friend, colleague, or neighbor. As for the last habit, it is about renewal, and it encompasses all the others.

When it comes to The 7 Habits, my big aha moment involved Dr. Covey’s articulation of the difference between “being efficient” and “being effective.” It’s an important distinction that shouldn’t be lost on anybody—this difference between having an efficient mindset, and having an effective mindset.

I’ve always been a very efficient person. Anybody who knows me is aware that I get up early in the morning, at 4 a.m., to write articles and work on the chapters of my books. I also like lists. For example, a typical Saturday for me is highly efficient. By 9 a.m. I’ve washed my cars, run to Home Depot to buy yard supplies, mowed the lawn, and showered, ready to start the day. By most people’s accounts, I’m hyper productive. I like to do things fast, and in great volume, and it’s worked very well for me in most areas of my life, including my career.

I don’t want you to think I am knocking down being efficient. No, efficiency is a great quality to have in your life. Many highly accomplished people are, in fact, very efficient. You can be efficient in meetings, with processes, texting, and email; taking out the garbage, and raking the lawn. There are lots of ways to be efficient. The problem is, I’ve taken on that efficiency paradigm—an efficiency mindset, if you will—and for most of my life I’ve replicated it into my relationships, personally and professionally, often to poor results.

Thanks to The 7 Habits, I had my own epiphany: You cannot be efficient in your relationships. In his book, Dr. Covey talked about how effective people don’t try to be efficient in their relationships. There’s a time for each, and for me, the biggest lesson with The 7 Habits is understanding when I should be operating in an efficiency mindset, and when I should be employing an effectiveness mindset. I think one of Dr. Covey’s greatest quotes is: “With people, slow is fast, and fast is slow.” You have to slow down, take your time, and listen empathically to build high-trust, enduring relationships.

As a leader, formal or informal, when someone comes to you and wants to connect with you on an issue, you might consider closing your laptop, taking off your glasses, turning off your phone, and really checking in with the person standing or sitting across from you. This idea that people are an organization’s most valuable asset is bunk. It’s simply not true. People are not an organization’s most valuable asset. Rather it’s the relationships between these people that creates culture and your competitive advantage.

Let me repeat: you cannot be efficient with people. And that’s been my biggest lesson. I really appreciate the fact that I’ve tried to apply my biggest talent—efficiency—to everything, only to realize, “Oh, perhaps that’s why some of my relationships aren’t working out well, or I have conflict in my life. Perhaps that’s why some people occasionally find me to be short, or rude, or not focused.” Until I read Dr. Covey’s book, I didn’t understand that my talent in one area of my life was actually a liability in another area. It was hindering me from developing deep, trusting relationships with people. And, as I became a spouse and parent, it’s become much clearer to me that any relationship rooted in an effectiveness mindset is much more enduring, beneficial, reciprocal, and meaningful.

So, what do I hope that the readers will get from this particular version of the book that changed my life? Everybody is trying to be very productive these days. Our fast world demands that we multitask, and a lot of us are doing more than is feasible or wise; in this context, The 7 Habits on the Go recognizes that not everyone has the ability nor the time to read, or reread, the full-length book. This is a chance to take some of the key insights Dr. Covey was so adept at condensing into short phrases, pointed terms, and quotes, and allow people to benefit from an easy, quick reference guide, that doesn’t lack any of the profoundness. The 7 Habits on the Go is about accessibility. It’s a little lighter primer to access these profound principles in an easy to read, easy to adopt format.

May this book help you acknowledge that the most important parts of your life are always rooted in your relationships, and that we all need to be aware of the importance of focusing on effectiveness versus efficiency in our relationships.

SCOTT JEFFREY MILLER

Author of Management Mess to Leadership Success

Introduction

Welcome to The 7 Habits on the Go: Timeless Wisdom for a Rapidly Changing World. Over the next week, month, or year—whatever amount of time you want to devote to this journey—I’m inviting you to move out of your comfort zone, shift your paradigms, improve and repair your relationships, and to generally become a more effective individual, personally and professionally.

You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, right, Sean. I have so much going on right now—I don’t have time to take on one more thing.” But that’s the very reason we created this book. It is on the go, quick, and effective. Just take a few minutes a day to read a section, then ask yourself the question of the week (stop and think about it too), and accept the challenge. The secret to improving yourself is not in making drastic changes overnight. It’s in creating mini wins for yourself every day. If you spend a few minutes every day trying to be better than yesterday, you will reach your goals.

Each day you can steal a few moments to take in important wisdom, all taken from the internationally bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, written by my father, Stephen R. Covey. This is a short book, but the lessons within are no less insightful. Each page teaches a key principle of effectiveness, poses a challenge, encourages reflection, and offers a quote of encouragement.

If you’re the kind of person who prefers to skip around, that’s just fine. Do it your way. Maybe read while you’re waiting for a ride, while you’re standing in line at the DMV, or downloading a movie—just stick with it—you’ll be glad you did.

The best way to gain control of your life is to make a promise to yourself and then keep it. As you embark upon this journey and follow this simple process and begin making and keeping promises to yourself and others, you will increase your capacity to overcome challenges at work and at home. Never forget that out of small things, big things are achieved.

I wish you all the best on your journey.

SEAN COVEY

Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

and The 4 Disciplines of Execution

THE 7 HABITS ON THE GO:

Introduction to the Habits

Ask yourself:

What matters most to me in my work and personal life?

When you shift your focus, you shift your impact. Put a spotlight on what matters in your life and list the next steps toward making positive change happen in those areas.

“If you apply even one of the 7 Habits today, you can see immediate results; but it’s a lifetime adventure—a lifetime promise.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Have I focused on quick fixes at the expense of my character?

Like the top of a tree, our personality is what people see first. Although appearance, techniques, and skills can influence our success, the real source of lasting effectiveness lies in a strong character—the roots.

“People who live by the character ethic have strong roots, deep roots. They withstand the stresses of life, and they keep growing and progressing.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

How accurate are my paradigms?

Paradigms are the way we see, understand, and interpret the world—our mental map.

“If you want to make minor changes in your life, work on your behavior. But if you want to make significant, quantum breakthroughs, work on your paradigms.”

—Stephen R. Covey

HABIT 1:

Be Proactive

Take responsibility for your life. You are not a victim of genetics, circumstance, or upbringing. Live life from your Circle of Influence.

Ask yourself:

How could I respond proactively the next time I face a highly charged situation?

When people are reactive, they allow outside influences to control their response.

When people are proactive, they pause to allow themselves to choose their response based on principles and desired results.

“Between what happens to us and our response is a space, and the key to our growth and happiness is how we use that space.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Who has been a Transition Person for me? What influence did they have on my life?

A Transition Person breaks unhealthy, abusive, or ineffective behavior and passes on habits that strengthen and build others.

“You are influenced by your genes, by your upbringing, and by your environment, but you are not determined by them.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Are my words making me a victim?

Reactive language is a sure sign that you see yourself as a victim of circumstances, instead of as a proactive, self-reliant person.

“A serious problem with reactive language is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People…feel victimized and out of control, not in charge of their life or their destiny. They blame outside forces—other people, circumstances, even the stars—for their own situation.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

How differently do I feel about myself when I use proactive language?

Our language is a real indicator of the degree to which we see ourselves as proactive people. Using proactive language helps us feel more capable and empowers us to act.

“I am not the product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

How much time and energy do I waste on things I can’t control?

Your Circle of Concern includes things you worry about but can’t control. If you focus on it, you have less time and energy to spend on things you can influence.

“Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Is my Circle of Influence growing or shrinking?

Your Circle of Influence includes those things you can affect directly. When you focus on it, you expand your knowledge and experience. As a result, your Circle of Influence grows.

“Proactive people focus their efforts on the Circle of Influence. Their energy is positive, enlarging, and magnifying.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What’s going on in my life today that might affect my proactivity?

Proactive people are the “creative force of their own lives”—they choose their own way and take responsibility for the results. Reactive people see themselves as victims.

“Every human being has four endowments—self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom: the power to choose.”

—Stephen R. Covey

HABIT 2:

Begin With the End in Mind

Define your values, mission, and goals in life. Live based upon your vision of your life.

Ask yourself:

How are my outcomes different when I begin with a clear end in mind?

All things are created twice: a mental creation and a physical creation. Before you act, start with a clear idea of what you want to achieve.

“It’s incredibly easy to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success, only to discover that it’s leaning against the wrong wall.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What legacy do I want to leave?

Being effective means taking the time to define the legacy you want to leave in your most important relationships and responsibilities.

“Deep within each one of us is an inner longing to live a life of greatness and contribution—to really matter, to really make a difference.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What is my compelling vision of my future?

Your mission statement defines your highest values and priorities. It’s the end in mind for your life. It enables you to shape your future instead of letting it be shaped by other people or circumstances.

“The mission statement gives you a changeless sense of who you are.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

This week, how can I tend to a relationship that matters most to me?

When we focus on efficiency, we sometimes overlook the people who really matter to us. But true effectiveness comes from the impact we have on others.

“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Which people in my life are most affected by my personal mission?

Your mission statement is not just for you; your loved ones can benefit from knowing your goals, values, and vision.

“We detect rather than invent our missions in life.”

—Viktor Frankl

Ask yourself:

Am I getting absorbed in one role to the disadvantage of the others?

In trying to fulfill all the key roles in our lives, we sometimes overemphasize one important role (often work-related) and get out of balance.

“One of the major problems that arises when people work to become more effective in life is that they…lose the sense of proportion, the balance…they may neglect the most precious relationships in their lives.”

—Stephen R. Covey

HABIT 3:

Put First Things First

Prioritize your activities and focus on what matters most. Spend more of your time in Quadrant II: the quadrant of important but not urgent.

Ask yourself:

What one thing can I do that, if done regularly, would make a tremendous, positive influence in my life?

Your goals should reflect your deepest values, your unique talent, and your sense of mission. An effective goal gives meaning and purpose to your everyday life and translates into daily activities.

“Happiness—in part—is the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Which quadrant do I spend most of my time in? What are the consequences?

The Time Matrix defines activities based on urgency and importance.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

How many of my crises could be prevented with preparation?

Quadrant 1 is both urgent and important. It deals with the things that require immediate attention. We all have some Q1 activities in our lives, but some people are consumed by it.

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Which Q2 activity do I most need to implement?

When we are highly effective, we spend most of our time in Quadrant 2:

· Proactive work

· Important goals

· Creative thinking

· Planning and preparing

· Building relationships

· Renewal and recreation

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What are the one or two most important things I can do in each role this week?

Effective people plan every week, taking time alone before the week begins. Your goals, roles, and Q2 activities are your “Big Rocks”—schedule them first and the “gravel” of less-important tasks will fit around them.

“If you were to ask me what single practice would do more than any other to balance your life and increase your productivity, it would be this: Plan your week…before the week begins.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What pulls me away from following through on my Big Rocks? How do I feel when I give in to the pressures and neglect my true priorities?

Our character is revealed when we choose between our Q2 priorities and the pressures of the moment. We are effective when we align our choices with our mission, roles, and goals.

“As you go through your week…the urgent but not important will threaten to overpower the important Quadrant 2 activities you planned. Use your independent will and maintain your integrity to the truly important.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

How much time am I spending in Quadrants 3 and 4? What price am I paying to stay there?

Quadrants 3 and 4 are time robbers: activities that steal time from you without giving back.

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, unapologetically—to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Do I trust myself to follow through on the commitments I make to myself?

Most goals are challenging—otherwise we would have accomplished them already! We can become frustrated with ourselves if we truly want to accomplish a goal but continue to procrastinate acting on it.

“Make a little promise to yourself and keep it; then a little bigger one, then a bigger one. Eventually, your sense of honor will become greater than your moods.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Private Victory to Public Victory

Ask yourself:

Do I know what constitutes withdrawals and deposits for the important people in my life?

The Emotional Bank Account symbolizes the amount of trust that exists in a relationship. Deposits build and repair trust. Withdrawals break down trust.

“In relationships, the little things are the big things.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Who needs an apology from me?

Saying you’re sorry when you’ve made a mistake or hurt someone can quickly restore an overdrawn Emotional Bank Account. It takes courage.

“To rebuild broken relationships, we must first study our own hearts to discover our own responsibilities, our own faults.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Am I carrying around the burden of someone else’s words or actions?

We’ve all been hurt at some time or another by someone else’s thoughtless words or actions.

“Any time we think the problem is ‘out there,’ that very thought is the problem.”

—Stephen R. Covey

HABIT 4:

Think

Win-Win

Have an everyone-can-win attitude; be happy for the success of others.

Ask yourself:

In what relationships are you less likely to Think Win-Win? What benefits would come from considering their wins?

When we are highly effective, we value other people’s wins equally to our own. We take time to identify both our wins and their wins.

“Win-win is not a technique; it’s a total philosophy of human interaction. It is a frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit in all interactions. Win-win sees life as a cooperative, not a competitive, arena.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Where is scarcity thinking getting in the way of achieving my best results?

The Scarcity Mentality causes you to compare, compete, and feel threatened by others, instead of working with others for the biggest wins.

“Most people are deeply scripted in the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone else gets a big piece of pie, it means less for everybody else.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Do I truly believe that there is more than enough for everyone?

When we have an Abundance Mentality, we are not threatened by others’ success, because we are secure in our own self-worth.

“The Abundance Mentality flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough for everybody.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Are there relationships in which you lack courage or consideration? What price are you paying?

To be highly effective means to be courageous. We are willing and able to speak our thoughts respectfully. It also means being considerate. We are willing and able to seek out and listen to others’ thoughts and feelings with respect.

“If people can express their feelings and convictions with courage balanced with consideration for the feelings and convictions of others, they are mature, particularly if the issue is very important to both parties.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What is my intent when I negotiate with others? Am I committed to win-win?

In a Win-Win Agreement, people commit to work to benefit both parties. Win-Win Agreements can be formal or informal and can be made in any relationship or circumstance.

“An agreement means very little in letter without the character and relationship to sustain it in spirit. We need to approach win-win from a genuine desire to invest in the relationships that make it possible.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Who has recently helped me accomplish something? Have I thanked them?

For many people, public or private acknowledgement is a big win. We can build trust and strengthen our relationships when we share credit generously.

“It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”

—Harry S. Truman

HABIT 5:

Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Listen to people empathically and then ask to be heard.

Ask yourself:

Do people around me feel that I genuinely understand them?

Listening with empathy means getting to the heart of what matters to the other person, whether we agree or not. When listening empathically, we listen with the intent to understand. We respond by reflecting feelings and words.

“Next to human survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Am I truly listening to those I love?

When emotions are high, focus on your intent; don’t worry about the correct response.

“When you really listen to another person from their point of view, and reflect back to them that understanding, it’s like giving them emotional oxygen.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Do I listen with the intent to reply, rather than to understand?

Autobiographical listening is filtering what others say through your own story. Rather than focusing on the speaker, you’re waiting to jump in with your perspective.

“Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf.”

—Native American Proverb

Ask yourself:

Do I speak in a way that shows I understand the other person? Am I sharing my point of view clearly?

Seeking to understand is the second half of effective communication. Once we are confident others feel understood, we can share our point of view with respect and clarity.

“When you present your own ideas clearly in the context of a deep understanding of the other person’s paradigms and concerns, you increase the credibility of your ideas.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

How can I listen with empathy during text, phone, and email conversations?

Effective communication in the digital world requires the same intent and skills used in face-to-face communication. The challenge often lies in reading and relaying intent across media.

“Empathy is the fastest form of human communication.”

—Stephen R. Covey

HABIT 6:

Synergize

Value and celebrate differences so that you can achieve more than you ever could have alone.

Ask yourself:

What can I learn from those I disagree with?

We have tremendous opportunity to grow from others’ experiences, points of view, and wisdom. Differences can be a source of learning, rather than conflict.

“Insecure people have a need to mold them into their own thinking. They don’t realize that the very strength of the relationship is in having another point of view. Sameness is uncreative—and boring.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What problem seems insurmountable if I face it alone?

You don’t have to figure out all the answers by yourself. When you’re dealing with a problem, synergy can surface ideas you never would have come up with on your own.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

—Helen Keller

Ask yourself:

When am I likely to settle for compromise? When do I experience synergy? What’s the difference?

Synergy depends on a willingness to seek a 3rd Alternative. More than just “my way” or “your way” it’s a higher, better way. It’s something that neither of us would have come up with on our own.

“What is synergy? Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy means that one plus one may equal ten, or a hundred, or even a thousand!”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Do I know the unique strengths of the people I work and live with? In which relationships do I tolerate differences rather than value them?

Valuing differences is the foundation of synergy. We are effective when we value and embrace the differences rather than rejecting or merely tolerating them. We see others’ differences as strengths, not weaknesses.

“The essence of synergy is to value differences—to respect them, to build on strengths, to compensate for weaknesses.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Am I open to learning from differences?

Our paradigm is often that we are objective, but everyone else isn’t. Effectiveness requires the humility to recognize the limitations of our perceptions.

“The key to valuing differences is to realize that all people see the world, not as it is, but as they are.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What obstacle currently seems insurmountable if I face it alone?

When you approach a problem with the willingness to synergize, you can come up with new ways to overcome challenges.

“When you introduce synergy…you unfreeze [restraining forces], loosen them up, and create new insights.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What could I do to take greater advantage of the strengths of others in my life?

We are surrounded by the strengths of others, but we often don’t tap into them.

“When we’re left to our own experiences, we constantly suffer from a shortage of data.”

—Stephen R. Covey

HABIT 7:

Sharpen the Saw

Consistently recharge your batteries in all four dimensions: physical, mental, spiritual, and social/emotional.

Ask yourself:

Am I spending time each day renewing my body, mind, heart, and spirit?

The Daily Private Victory—time spent each day in a routine way renewing body, mind, heart, and spirit—is the key to developing all of the 7 Habits.

“There’s no other way you could spend an hour that would begin to compare with the Daily Private Victory. It will affect every decision, every relationship. It will greatly improve the quality, the effectiveness, of every other hour of the day.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

What’s one way I could improve my strength and resilience?

Physical renewal involves caring for your physical body—a healthy diet, sufficient rest, and regular exercise.

“Most of us think we don’t have enough time to exercise. What a distorted paradigm! We don’t have time not to.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Am I centered on my values?

Spirituality is a very private area of life and a supremely important one. It draws on the sources that inspire and uplift you.

“The spiritual dimension is your core, your center, your commitment to your value system.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Do I begin the week mentally refreshed?

As soon as we leave school, many of us let our minds atrophy. But learning is vital to mental renewal.

“There’s no better way to inform and expand your mind on a regular basis than to get into the habit of reading good literature.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Who can I connect with this week?

Our emotional life is primarily—but not exclusively—developed through our relationships with other people.

“To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Are urgencies crowding out my renewal time?

Renewal is a Quadrant 2 activity; we must be proactive to make it happen.

“This is the single most powerful investment we can ever make in life—investment in ourselves.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Ask yourself:

Am I using my technology at the expense of my most important goals and relationships?

Our devices can be the ultimate source of urgencies. We might feel productive responding to every message, but mostly we’re simply distracted.

“For all our efforts to manage our time, do more, be more, and achieve greater efficiency through the wonders of modern technology, why is it we often find ourselves in the ‘thick of thin things’?”

—Stephen R. Covey

Bonus Features

Mission Statement Builder

“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.”

—Stephen R. Covey

As I debated on what bonus features to add to this book, I asked myself, “What will have the greatest influence on my reader and on their future?” And then I remembered when my colleague, Annie, once shared this story:

“I taught the 7 Habits at a local community college for several years. It was an incredible experience helping these young people, and not-so-young, non-traditional students, about the power of habits, goals, and principles. As their teacher and friend, I was curious about the impact of the content and the habits on the students. I wanted to know where they felt the greatest connection and the greatest return on their time by taking this class. So, I randomly added a ‘freebie’ question to the final exam. I wanted to give the students an opportunity to share honestly—and every test should include a freebie question, shouldn’t it? No one should totally fail every question on a test unless they simply don’t take it.

The question at the end of the final exam was, ‘What is your favorite habit and why?’ I was very surprised to discover that an overwhelming majority of the students chose Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. The reasons varied, but a central theme came through: this was the first time most of these students had plotted out a course for their future. Some, not all, had plotted a course for college and what they wanted to study and embrace as a profession, but many were in college only because it was expected. About 99 percent of my college students had no life vision—no driving purpose, no life contribution, no life mission.

I was totally stunned when semester after semester, my students voiced the same thing at the end of the course—‘I NOW finally have a purpose and meaning to my life.’

I think I was so surprised because I had chosen my life goals at a young age—I don’t know why or what drove me to focus on goals, but somehow I did and just assumed that everyone else did, too.”

This experience is likely not uncommon. There are many who have not specifically defined what contribution they want to make in life, or what their driving purpose will be. For this reason, I felt it important to provide a means of doing this. Even if you have defined your life goals at an earlier time, like Annie, this could be an exercise that reinspires you to stay on track. Who knows? Your goals might even change.

Please enjoy the following thoughts and ideas and, as you read, ask yourself these questions:

•Have I defined my purpose in life?

•Am I aware of what I uniquely can do that others can’t or won’t do?

•What and who do I want to be in my life?

•What principles and values do I want to live my life by?

•What will be my legacy?

Use everything you learned in this book to help you build your mission statement and become the most effective person you can be. Your effectiveness can change the world.

THE EDITOR

“Writing or reviewing a mission statement changes you because it forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behavior with your beliefs. As you do, other people begin to sense that you’re not being driven by everything that happens to you.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Visualize Your Legacy

Before we get to the mission statement-building questionnaire, please find a place to read these next few pages where you can be alone and uninterrupted. Clear your mind of everything except what you will read and what I will invite you to do.

…

In your mind’s eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. You see the faces of friends and family. You feel the shared sorrow that radiates from the hearts of the people there.

As you walk to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral. All these people have come to honor you. As you wait for the service to begin, you look at the program and see there are to be four speakers.

The first is from your family. The second speaker is one of your friends. The third speaker is from your work. And the fourth is from your community.

Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life?

“If you carefully consider what you wanted to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition

of success.”

If you participated seriously in this visualization experience, you touched for a moment on some of your deep, fundamental values. You established brief contact with that inner guidance system.

…

To Begin with the End in Mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. This is something I once wrote about this habit:

“Habit 2, Begin with the End in Mind, means developing a clear picture of where you want to go with your life. It means deciding what your values are and setting goals. If Habit 1 says you are the driver of your life, Habit 2 says decide where you want to go and draw up a map to

get there.”

How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what matters most.

We each have a number of different roles in our lives—different areas or capacities in which we have responsibility. I may, for example, have a role as an individual, a husband, a father, a teacher, and a businessman. And each of these roles is important.

One of the major problems that arises when people work to become more effective in life is that they don’t think broadly enough. They lose the sense of proportion, the balance, the natural ecology necessary to effective living. They may get consumed by work and neglect personal health. In the name of professional success, they may neglect the most precious relationships in their lives.

You may find that your mission statement will be much more balanced and much easier to work with, if you break it down into the specific role area of your life and the goals you want to accomplish in each other.

Writing your mission in terms of the important roles in your life gives you balance and harmony. It keeps each role clearly before you. You can review your roles frequently to make sure that you don’t get totally absorbed by one role to the exclusion of others that are equally or even more important in your life.

After you identify your various roles, then you can think about the long-term goals you want to accomplish in each of those roles. We’re into the right brain, using imagination, creativity, conscience, and inspiration. If these goals are the extension of a mission statement based on correct principles, they will be vitally different from the goals people normally set. They will be in harmony with correct principles, with natural laws, which gives you greater power to achieve them. They are not someone else’s goals you have absorbed. They are your goals. They reflect your deepest values, your unique talent, your sense of mission.

“I think each of us has an internal monitor or sense, a conscience, that gives us an awareness of our own uniqueness and the singular contributions we can make.”

An effective goal focuses primarily on results rather than activity. It identifies where you want to be, and, in the process, helps you determine where you are.

Roles and goals give structure and organized direction to your personal mission. If you don’t yet have a personal mission statement, it’s a good place to begin. Simply identify the various areas of your life and the two or three important results you feel you should accomplish in each area to move ahead; this will give you an overall perspective of your life and a sense of direction.

STEPHEN R. COVEY

…

FranklinCovey’s personal mission statement builder will help you create a unique, personalized mission statement. To build your own Personal Mission Statement online, visit

https://msb.franklincovey.com.

Let’s begin.

Mission Statement Questionnaire

Step 1: Performance

1) I am at my best when…

2) I am at my worst when…

Step 2: Passion

1) What do I really love to do at work?

2) What do I really love to do in my personal life?

Step 3: Talents

1) My natural talents and gifts are: (Examples may be art, music, decision-making, being a friend, etc.)

Step 4: Imagination

If I had unlimited time and resources, and knew I could not fail, what would I choose to do?

1) I would:

Step 5: Vision

Imagine your life as an epic journey with you as the hero/heroine of the story. What do you imagine your journey to be about? Complete the following statement by describing what you are doing, who is it for, why you are doing it, and what the journey’s results are.

1) My life’s journey is…

Step 6: Character

1) Imagine your 80th birthday. Who will be there with you? What tribute statement would you like them to make about your life?

Step 7: Contribution

1) What do I consider to be my most important future contribution to the most important people in my life?

Step 8: Conscience

1) Are there things I feel I really should do or change, even though I may have dismissed such thoughts many times? What are they?

Step 9: Influence

Imagine you could invite to dinner three people who have influenced you the most—past or present. Write their names in the boxes below. Then record the one quality or attribute you admire most in these people.

1) Name:

1) Attribute:

2) Name:

2) Attribute:

3) Name:

3) Attribute:

Step 10: Balance

Let’s think of balance as a state of fulfillment and renewal in each of the four dimensions: physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional. What is the single most important thing you can do in each of these areas that will have the greatest positive impact on your life and help you achieve a sense of balance?

1) Physical:

2) Spiritual:

3) Mental:

4) Social/Emotional:

Over the years, your circumstances will change. Your priorities will change. Your goals and dreams will change. That’s okay—because change means growth. As you grow, transform, and broaden your horizons, allow yourself the freedom to expand and refine your mission statement.

For now, congratulate yourself on a job well done. Tell your friends about your newly stated purpose in life.

The next step is learning how to live your mission. Maybe it’s easy, but maybe it takes some guidance. We’re here to help. Learn more about our classes and training here: www.franklincovey.com/tc/publicworkshops.

Life is a journey. And your mission statement is your map.

Inspiring Thoughts on Missions and Goals

“Your mission statement becomes your constitution, the solid expression of your vision and values. It becomes the criterion by which you measure everything else in your life.”

—Stephen R. Covey

“To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favorable wind.”

—Seneca

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

—Maya Angelou

“If you’re proactive you don’t have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective-expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own.”

—Stephen R. Covey

“Personal leadership is not a singular experience. It doesn’t begin or end with the writing of a personal mission statement. It is, rather, the ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things.”

—Stephen R. Covey

“Stay focused on the mission.”

—Naveen Jain

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”

—Richard Bach

“A mission statement is not something you write overnight. It takes deep introspection, careful analysis, thoughtful expression, and often many rewrites to produce it in final form. It may take you several weeks or even months before you feel really comfortable with it, before you feel it is a complete and concise expression of your innermost values and directions.”

—Stephen R. Covey

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

—Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“I’ve always been inspired by women, and my mission was to inspire women. I always wanted to become a certain kind of woman, and I became that woman through fashion. It was a dialogue. I would see that the wrap dress made those women confident, and made them act with confidence.”

—Diane von Furstenberg

“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.”

―Stephen R. Covey

“A personal mission statement is like a tree with deep roots. It is stable and isn’t going anywhere but it is also alive and continually growing.”

—Sean Covey

“The bigger your mission becomes, the greater inspiration you will be given.”

—Ryuho Okawa

“Personal leadership is not a singular experience. It doesn’t begin or end with the writing of a personal mission statement. It is, rather, the ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things.”

—Stephen R. Covey

Affirmations

on the Go

Here are some affirmations to keep you focused on your mission, and remind you of the power of the habits. As you work on each habit, take one of these affirmations and repeat it to yourself throughout the day. Make it your focus, and watch your perspective change.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

My ability to conquer my challenges is limitless; my potential to succeed is infinite.

I wake up every morning feeling positive and enthusiastic about life.

I carry my own weather.

I am mindful of my language. I avoid reactive language.

I face my failures head-on. The only failure is giving up. I learn from my failures.

I recognize resistance as merely an obstacle, not a roadblock.

I face my fears head on. I learn from them.

I push pause and think before reacting to an emotional or difficult situation.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

I am willing to explore new and uncharted territory.

I am the architect of my life; I build its foundation and choose its contents.

I live by my mission. I follow the beat of my inner drummer. I will be myself, not what others want me to be.

I invest my time, talents, abilities, and life in those activities which fulfill my ultimate purpose.

I am the captain of my ship; I chart my own course and choose my own cargo.

I refer back to my mission statement whenever I am faced with important life decisions.

I frequently ask myself: “Is the life I’m living leading me in the right direction?”

Habit 3: Put First Things First

My mind is energized, clear, and focused on the process of my goals.

My daily goals will ensure I reach my long term goals.

For today, I am truly attentive to my work. I will be observant and attentive throughout the day.

Today I will spend time strengthening relationships.

I turn my dreams into goals. I turn my goals into steps. I turn my steps into actions. I complete an action every day.

I will prepare today for future crises.

I concentrate all my efforts on the things I want to accomplish in life.

I spend my time focused on what matters most.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

I face difficult situations with a balance of courage and consideration. I will find solutions in these difficult times.

In seeking for Win-Win I focus on the issues, not the personalities or positions.

I am genuinely happy for the success of others.

My abundance mentality flows out of my own deep inner sense of personal worth and security.

I choose a Win-Win frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interaction.

I confidently practice Win-Win as a habit of interpersonal leadership.

When others are scripted in Win-Lose, I balance courage with consideration in finding mutual benefit.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

I listen reflectively without judgment to gain complete understanding.

I choose to see things from another’s point of view before sharing my own.

The deepest need of the human heart is to be understood.

I listen with my heart, my eyes, and then my ears.

I show my level of care and commitment by empathically listening.

I am mindful of timing and my choice of words when I give feedback.

I practice patience and understanding with others and myself.

Habit 6: Synergize

I am a problem solver. I work with others to find the very best solutions.

I celebrate diversity and I value differences in people and ideas.

In my personal relationships, I strive for the ideal environment for synergy—a high emotional bank account, think Win-Win, and seek first to understand.

I am committed to working with others to create a better solution.

I keep my mind open to the possibilities of teamwork and communication.

There is an abundance of benefit, recognition, and success to go around for everyone.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

I am fit, healthy, and full of self-confidence. My outer self is matched by my inner well-being.

I have strength in my heart and clarity in my mind.

I seek balance in the four dimensions of my life: physical, mental, spiritual, and social/emotional.

I am calm and relaxed which energizes my whole being.

Life is an upward spiral of learn, commit, do, and learn, commit, and do over and over again.

My body is a marvelous machine. I handle it with care and I don’t abuse it.

I look for ways to build others up rather than to tear them down.

I find peace and calm in nature.

I use my gift of imagination to clearly visualize the attainment of my goals.

7 Quick Takeaways from The 7 Habits on the Go

Habit 1: Be Proactive. Take responsibility for your life. You are not a victim of genetics, circumstance, or upbringing. Live life from your Circle of Influence.

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind. Define your values, mission, and goals in life. Live life based upon your vision of your life.

Habit 3: Prioritize your activities and focus on what matters most. Spend more of your time in Quadrant II: the quadrant of important but not urgent.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Have an everyone-can-win attitude; be happy for the success of others.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Listen to people empathically and then ask to be heard.

Habit 6: Synergize. Value and celebrate differences so that you can achieve more than you ever could have alone.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. Consistently recharge your batteries in all four dimensions: physical, mental, spiritual, and social/emotional.

Stephen R. Covey

Dr. Stephen R. Covey passed away in 2012 leaving behind an unmatched legacy of teachings about leadership, time management, effectiveness, success, and love and family. A multimillion-copy bestselling author of self-help and business classics, Dr. Covey strove to help readers recognize the principles that would lead them to personal and professional effectiveness. His seminal work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, transformed the way people think and act upon their problems with a compelling, logical, and well-defined process.

As an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and author, his advice gives insight to millions. His books have sold more than 40 million copies (in 50 languages), and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century. He was the author of The 3rd Alternative, The 8th Habit, The Leader in Me, First Things First, and many other titles. He held an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. He lived with his wife and family in Utah.

Mango Publishing, established in 2014, publishes an eclectic list of books by diverse authors—both new and established voices—on topics ranging from business, personal growth, women’s empowerment, LGBTQ studies, health, and spirituality to history, popular culture, time management, decluttering, lifestyle, mental wellness, aging, and sustainable living. We were recently named 2019 and 2020’s #1 fastest growing independent publisher by Publishers Weekly. Our success is driven by our main goal, which is to publish high quality books that will entertain readers as well as make a positive difference in their lives.

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Table of Contents

Copyright

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Introduction to the Habits

HABIT 1: Be Proactive

HABIT 2: Begin With the End in Mind

HABIT 3: Put First Things First

Private Victory to Public Victory

HABIT 4: ThinkWin-Win

HABIT 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

HABIT 6: Synergize

HABIT 7: Sharpen the Saw

Bonus Features

Mission Statement Builder

Visualize Your Legacy

Mission Statement Questionnaire

Inspiring Thoughts on Missions and Goals

Affirmations on the Go

7 Quick Takeaways from The 7 Habits on the Go

Stephen R. Covey