Seven Habits Reread

Hello hello,

Wow I'm really on a roll here... my fourth post in a month!  I guess writing is like jogging or exercising - it's really hard to do it the first time after a long time... the conditions almost all have to be right, or you are really suffering by not doing it (e.g. feeling breathless, out-of-shape, unhealthy, or in this particular instance, feeling like I had this incredibly wonderful experience that I have to get out on paper, or computer - namely my trip to the Botanic Gardens, or I will burst).  But after you do it the first time, the second time is not that bad, and then it gets progressively easier and easier, and the wheezing is less obvious and you start to enjoy it more and more.  So voila, here I am!

I recently picked up Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People from my bookshelf and popped it in my handbag to be part of my must-have reading material for my long commute.  Why am I reading this rather outdated self-help book now instead of the latest management book or chic lit (yes I am quite the fan) or crime fiction (also guilty)?  I guess it's a combination of running out of books from the library to read (I must explain I am a compulsive train reader, as in, if I don't have something to read on the train, I get mental withdrawal symptoms, which are as bad as my caffeine withdrawal symptoms) and the fact that I had recently moved into a new role at work and found myself grappling (in middle age) once again with an ill-defined role, time management issues (I'm double hatting on an already heavy portfolio) and having to win the respect and trust of two new colleagues who have been transferred to the same new unit as me, one of whom is older than me (a first!) and having to work out communication styles, working preferences and so on.  So I was perhaps feeling in need of a refresher course on how to manage myself effectively. 

However, I was not disappointed.  In fact, I must say I was quite blown away by the book, which I did not expect as I had attended a course on this years ago and thought I had it all down pat.  Hey, I can even recite 6 out of the 7 habits (the one that eluded me was Synergise - and I haven't gotten to that part of the book and still don't know what that means) and can explain pretty clearly what each is about.  However, I realised the book holds so much more detail and examples from the author which the trainer simply could not go into in that two-day course.  I found in the book timeless principles and truths that opened my eyes (and I've read quite a few management and self-help books in my time), though it was written years ago!  Ok, I must say partly it is because I am in need of these truths at my particular life stage, which makes the "aha" moments even more heartfelt and far-reaching for me.  But I believe they are relevant for everyone, at any life stage.  You just can't go wrong with the habits, especially the first three.  I'll blog about each habit in turn, and how I have applied it to my life and made a difference.