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The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

 

Steven Covey’s book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” was a wonderful discovery to me. It has answered some of the questions I have regarding my actual job and how to better get along with my colleagues. The teaching environment can become stressful, demanding, and sometimes toxic. This leads to misunderstandings or, even worse, broken relationships. Therefore, reading the principles taught in the book has given me some ideas on how to improve my self-view of my work situation.

Habit number 1 “Be proactive” surprised me and made me realize I fell short about the concept. I consider myself a proactive person because I am self-directed, always ready to help others, and self-sufficient in my own life activities. However, Covey taught the following about the meaning of proactivity:

“Proactivity means to subordinate impulses to values. Reactive people are swept away by the heat of the moment. Proactive people are driven by values that are both well thought out and internalized.”

Remembering our values is part of being proactive, and acting according to them shows how internalized we have them. In other words, if I struggle to manage how people treats me, I should focus my attention on the principles which I based my life upon and act accordingly. I have to avoid to reach to wrong conclusions and make an effort to listen and understand what is behind people’s attitudes. Being able to self-control our reactions is a great deal more than to be ready to act when something needs to be done; it implies patience, self-esteem, understanding, and active and empathetic listening. Finally, we can choose our response when others offend or mistreat us and avoid blindly reactions. It is based on our self-esteem and how we perceive ourselves. Hence, I consider that having a positive concept of our capabilities and worth is the foundation to become proactive people.

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