THE SEVEN HABITS(ˈhabit)—AN OVERVIEW(ˈōvərˌvyo͞o)

THE SEVEN HABITS(ˈhabit)—AN OVERVIEW(ˈōvərˌvyo͞o)

By Stephen(ˈstēvən) R. Covey(ˈkəvē)

We are what we repeatedly(riˈpētidlē) do. Excellence(ˈeksələns), then, is not an act, but a habit.
— ARISTOTLE

Our character(ˈkariktər), basically(ˈbāsik(ə)lē), is a composite(käm-,kəmˈpäzət) of our habits. “Sow(sou,sō) a thought(THôt), reap(rēp) an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny(ˈdestinē),” the maxim(ˈmaksim) goes.

Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious(ˌənˈkänSHəs) patterns, they constantly(ˈkänstəntlē), daily(ˈdālē), express(ikˈspres) our character and produce our effectiveness(iˈfektivnis) … or ineffectiveness.

As Horace(ˈhôrəs) Mann, the great educator(ˈejəˌkātər), once said, “Habits are like a cable(ˈkābəl). We weave a strand(strand) of it everyday and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his expression. I know they can be broken. Habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn’t a quick fix. It involves a process(prəˈses,ˈpräsəs,ˈpräˌses,ˈprō-) and a tremendous(trəˈmendəs) commitment.

Those of us who watched the lunar(ˈlo͞onər) voyage(ˈvoi-ij) of Apollo(əˈpälō) 11 were transfixed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. Superlatives(səˈpərlətiv) such as “fantastic”(fanˈtastik) and “incredible”(inˈkredəbəl) were inadequate(inˈadikwət) to describe those eventful days. But to get there, those astronauts(ˈastrəˌnôt) literally(ˈlitrə-,ˈlitərəlē) had to break out of the tremendous gravity(ˈgravitē) pull of the earth. More energy(ˈenərjē) was spent in the first few minutes of lift-off, in the first few miles of travel(ˈtravəl), than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.

Habits, too, have tremendous gravity pull—more than most people realize(ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz) or would admit. Breaking deeply imbedded habitual(həˈbiCHo͞oəl) tendencies(ˈtendənsē) such as procrastination(prō-,prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən), impatience(imˈpāSHəns), criticalness(ˈkritikəl), or selfishness that violate(ˈvīəˌlāt) basic principles(ˈprinsəpəl) of human effectiveness involves(inˈvälv) more than a little willpower and a few minor(ˈmīnər) changes in our lives. “Lift off” takes a tremendous effort(ˈefərt), but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom takes on a whole new dimension(diˈmenCHən).

Like any natural(ˈnaCHərəl) force, gravity pull can work with us or against(əˈgenst,əˈgānst) us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may currently(ˈkə-rəntlē,ˈkərəntlē) be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets(ˈplanit) in their orbits(ˈôrbit) and our universe(ˈyo͞onəˌvərs) in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cohesiveness(-ziv,kōˈhēsiv) and order necessary(ˈnesəˌserē) in our lives.

…