Be Proactive

Being proactive means recognizing our responsibility to make positive things happen.

We don’t wait for something to happen and then react to it.

We want to take charge and make great things happen.

Begin With the End in Mind

This habit is based on the ability to envision, to see the potential, to create with our minds what we cannot at present see with our eyes.

If we know what our end goal is or should be, we can devise a road map of how to achieve that goal.

Put First Things First

Create a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished, and then prioritize our activities.

The most important things we need to accomplish should be at the top of our list.

Think Win-Win

Win-Win is a frame of mind that constantly seeks mutual benefit in our interactions with one another.

Win-Win means that agreements or solutions to problems are mutually beneficial to both sides.

Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood

We usually seek first to be understood.

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with intent to reply.

They’re either speaking or preparing to speak.

When we first seek to understand someone, our paradigm shifts, so that we learn to seek first what the other person is saying, then make our attempt to also be understood.

Synergize

Synergy is working together. It is teamwork and team-building.

It is developing unity and creativity with each other.

Synergize means to work together, helping each other to succeed.

Sharpen the Saw

This is the habit of renewal, of being lifelong learners.

It is the habit of continuous improvement that lifts us to higher levels of knowledge and understanding.

To sharpen the saw means that we are constantly learning, exploring and always interested in new ways to improve and educate ourselves.