Habit Of Self Renewal example essay topic

... n spend some Quadrant II time in explaining to the person the benefits of thinking and acting win-win so that they (and yourself benefit). Other times the best win-win is to ask them to leave the group. They get a big hint about the consequences of their actions which could lead them to improve there activities and the group benefits as well. Covey suggests establishing a win-win agreement as a tool for creating an effective, long-term foundation. This agreement seeks to make explicit the following items: u Desired results - What is to be done and when (not how!) u Guidelines - The guidelines governing how the results are to be accomplished u Resources - Human, material, and other help available u Accountability - What are the standards for evaluating the performance and times of evaluation. u Consequences - What will happen as a result of achieving and not achieving the results. Many students do not perceive their interactions with professors as a win-win situation, but rather as a confrontational one.

Believe it or not, the overwhelming majority of us are not 'out to get you'! We have certain policies, exam structures, office hours, etc. to establish a win-win situation with you. We really are much happier when you succeed in our classes! In fact, look at your sylla bi this coming semester and notice how much in them is representing a win-win agreement. It may begin to cause you to look at your classes in a different light! Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

The habit of communication. We can't listen while we are talking! Unfortunately when we interact with people, we really do not listen in order to understand. Rather as the other person is talking, we are already framing our replies. In effect we are talking while they are talking. We are not listening.

Covey suggests we engage in 'Empathic Listening' which we do our best to get inside another person's frame of reference and see the world the way they do. This takes tremendous courage and ability, because we have to suspend our own frame works to do this. We in effect, make ourselves vulnerable to change. Keep in mind, however, that empathic listening does not have to mean you agree with the other person's views, just that you make an all out effort to Understand them. Before we can effectively make ourselves understood, we must first understand where the other person is coming from. Then and only then are we in a position to communicate in a way such that our own views can be understood.

As an example, suppose you find yourself in a confrontation with an instructor over a grade. You should first give the instructor a opportunity to tell their side and try to truly understand their side. Perhaps there is a central piece of information you truly didn't understand about how the grade was going to be assigned, or why it was being done that way. Many times an instructor who sees that a student truly didn't understand is willing to encourage in a win-win agreement to resolve the situation. Complaining, and not listening usually gets you nowhere. Habit 6: Synergize.

The habit of Creative Cooperation. Synergy refers to the fact that in most situations 1+12 but 1+1 = 3 or more! That is, through creative cooperation (not giving in or compromise) two or more people can produce results far better than either could do alone. This habit draws upon the previous five. It allows us to be effective in an interdependent setting! The key to developing this habit is to value differences among people.

We must have the humility to recognize that our own views are limited and preconceived, and that interactions with others of different values and mind sets allow us to reach creative solutions that are far better than what we could have achieved on our own. Inculcation of this habit removes bigotry and prejudice from our thinking and replaces it with respect and caring. A truly good liberal arts education is aimed at instilling just this very principle. College should be about having you confront your own pre-conceptions about the world and see that not everyone shares your views, that in many cases their views are equally valued, and in some cases better than yours! Intellectual, emotional, and philosophical arrogance is replaced by humility and cooperation. Habit 7: Sharpen the saw.

The habit of Self-Renewal. This habit involves engaging in those activities which are aimed at preserving and maintaining ourselves! We should seek to have a balanced, systematic program of self-renewal in essentially four areas: physical, social / emotional, mental and spiritual. Physical - in order to maintain our physical well being we need 3 essential components, nutrition, exercise, and rest. We need to educate ourselves on what constitutes good nutrition and plan our diets so as to achieve this. Fad diets do not work over the long run and can even prove to be dangerous!

A regular exercise program is essential for good health. Unfortunately people can become overly excessive about this! We probably all know about the people who run 4 hours a day to 'keep fit' as all other areas of their life fall apart because they don't have the time to put in to them! A 30 - 40 minute aerobic exercise workout three times a week is usually more than enough for a person in reasonable health. As with all other medical areas, be sure to consult your doctor about your own unique conditions. Rest is equally important.

With out proper rest, the synthetic and renewal aspects of our physiology and biochemistry never get a chance to re-create ourselves. Sleep needs are highly variable in humans and differ as we go through our natural life spans. A general rule of 8 hours of rest and sleep seems to fit most people well. But be advised, some need more. Don't fall into the trap of losing your rest in a quest for being more productive by getting up 'extra early' if this doesn't fit your physiology. Social / Emotional - here we engage in activities which Covey says are aimed at making deposits into the Emotional Bank Accounts we have with others.

An Emotional Bank Account is an idea which represents those social and emotional patterns we establish with others where trust, character, integrity, honesty, and caring can be either built up or broken down. How we treat others in our various roles either makes 'deposits' into these bank accounts and thereby strengthens our relationships, or makes withdrawals from them and weakens our relationships. If we truly put First Things First, we tend to engage in activities which strengthen our relationships by doing those day-to-day things that build character, honesty, caring, etc. The goal of Quadrant II planning is to ensure that these activities do not get short-shifted and begin to wane. Commitments and keeping promises is important here. Mental - Here we engage in life long learning through reading, writing, challenging ideas, and taking time to think.

But you say 'Wait a minute. I'm in college that's what I am doing already!'. Well, not really. Your classroom learning is more-or-less imposed on you by the requirements of passing a course or getting a degree. What Covey has in mind here is continual mental self-improvement that is driven by your own desires to know and think about a subject you are not required to learn! This is what is meant by 'life-long learning'!

Most of you will be going into professional fields where this type of active, self-directed learning will be necessary for your continued professional standing. It is a useful habit to develop now. As an example, I read voraciously in many areas besides what I teach. In the past few months I have read on: Time management (Obviously! ), Quantum Field Theory, Russian, Spanish, Existentialism, Deconstructionism, Post Modernism, Family Therapy, Pastoral Counseling, Psychology of Religion, Systematic Theology, Personal Management, Biophysical Chemistry, Differential Equations, The UNIX operating system, C / C++ programming, just to name a few.

None of these deal directly with what I teach on a regular basis (save perhaps Time Management and this course). They all deal, however, in one way or another with my mission statement which is to gain an deep understanding of the fundamental questions of our existence. Now not everyone has the time, or inclination, to read as extensively as I do. But we all can fit in a little more reading! Keeping a journal and writing is another useful tool.

It allows us to review our thoughts and experiences and maintain perspective on our lives. The daily record of events in your organizer is a good place to develop this habit. Watching educational or controversial programs is another outlet. Many localities have distance learning courses that are televised now where you can follow an entire academic course on TV! (I am learning Spanish this way). Courses on the internet represent an additional attractive alternative.

Books on tape are an excellent source of information, particularly if you have long driving commutes. All of Covey's books (and more) are now on tape! Spiritual - activities here include reading literature that inspires us (what Covey calls 'Wisdom Literature') in whatever tradition you find most comfortable (I prefer the Mystical bent), through meditation or prayer, through organized church services, through spending time with nature. I am an ordained minister and run an electric ministry on the internet in which I offer various spiritual services. I am constantly reading various spiritually-oriented books, and seeking spiritually-centered materials the internet so I can better myself as well as offer better services to others. I am also currently enrolled in a home-study Doctoral program that will give me some training in spiritual counseling that is in tune with my specific religious proclivities.

As my personal examples indicate, there are many opportunities for spiritual growth and development available to you, whatever your particular spiritual bent may be! Well, there you have it, an overview of the 7-Habits with some additional insights thrown in aimed at helping you the student. I hope this precise helps you to get motivated so that you begin to use this planner tool. If you start organizing your life now, you will, indeed, find the time to ' Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy'!