1. Be proactive.
I found this to be the concept that resonated the strongest out of all the other habits. It was highly relatable, especially as I thought of situations where I was reactive, blaming the situation based on my environment instead of taking "response-ability" for choices that I actively chose.
It is our responsibility to make things happen and seize the initiative.
Furthermore, the idea of circle of influence is interesting. We should only work on our circle of influence, which will gradually expand over time. There is no point being bogged down by the occurrences in our circle of concern as we don't have the power to realistically make a difference. Not to say those issues aren't of importance, i.e. the Syrian civil war but what does worrying about it do?
2. Begin with the end in mind.
This habit wasn't as strong as it felt like common-sense. It essentially means to make sure you know what direction you are going in, the end goal so to speak. Nonetheless, it talks about the importance of mission statements, whether it be personal or organisational and how that can really set the tone.
3. Put first things first.
This was a good one.
" What one thing could you do - which you aren’t doing now - that If you did it regularly,
would make a tremendous difference in your business or personal life?"
So many things...
I could stretch as my body is getting stiff but there isn't any instant gratification.
I should commit time every day to read the news.
Talk more frequently to my parents and spend that precious time with them.
The idea is that all activities are divided into four quadrants.
- Q1 is urgent such as a job interview or having to eat food.
- Q2 is not urgent but important.
- Q3 Q4 are essentially unproductive activities and should be cut out from one's schedule.
It happens so that essentially all the answers to the above question are in Q2.
