SHARPEN THE SAW...

Steven Covey in his book   "THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE” teaches the importance of being able to apply these principles in the personal, professional, and family life of a person who seeks success and is highly effective.

The 7 Habits provide an incremental, sequential, integrated approach to the development of personal effectiveness moving us progressively from dependence (on others) to independence (taking care of ourselves) to interdependence (looking after others and combining strengths to multiply our individual effectiveness).

The first three habits are the basis for private victories in which we develop the fiber of our own character traits.

The second three habits are for public victories, those situations where we work with other people.

The final habit improves the effectiveness of our lives in all areas.

Habits 1, 2, and 3 deal with self-mastery or private victories

and lay the foundation for other habits.

 Habits 4,5 and 6 deal with public victories.

 Habit 7 is the habit of renewal of the four basic dimensions

of a meaningful life.

The 7 habits are habits of effectiveness based on principles that

make long-term beneficial results possible.

The 7 Habits give the ability to work from the inside out to build the character of total integrity.

Personally, within the 7 habits, the one that has the most meaning for me is the last habit,

Habit Number 7:  SHARPEN THE SAW

Don’t get so busy sawing that you don’t realize you are using a blunt saw. Take the time on a regular basis to sharpen your saw in the physical, spiritual, mental, and social or emotional dimensions.

Renewal is the principle – and the process – enabling us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement. 

The upward spiral consists of three steps;

1. To Learn

2. To Commit

3. To Do

Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit and do on increasingly higher planes.

To keep progressing, we must repeat the cycle over and over.

Real change comes from the inside out.

"Achieving unity with ourselves, our loved ones, our friends and

working associates is the highest and most delicious fruit of the 7

Habits. Building a character of total integrity isn’t easy but it’s

possible. It isn’t a quick fix. By centering our lives on correct

principles and creating a balanced focus between doing and

increasing our ability to do, we become empowered in the task of

creating effective, useful, and peaceful lives." ( Steven Covey)