My Summer

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Habit 1: Be Proactive

"Habit 1 is the key to unlocking all the other habits and that's why it comes first. It says, "I am the captain of my life. I can choose my attitude. I'm responsible for my own happiness or unhappiness. I am in the driver's seat of my destiny, not just a passenger." Being proactive means taking responsibility for your life and actions rather than just watching how things happen.Being proactive takes time, since you have to consider your options, weigh alternatives and make your own decisions in order to achieve your goals. A reactive behavior is influenced by the environment and outside forces.Being proactive means anticipating problems, seeking new solutions and doing your best. Being reactive, on the contrary, means solving problems when they turn up, not wanting changes and doing the minimum. "The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it." - Stephen Covey 

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
"Control your own destiny or someone else will." (Jack Welch)

Beginning with an end in mind is important because it motivates you to finish your goal or task. If your dream is to win player of the year with the most goals than you have to see yourself at the end of that road with your award of the most goals, you will then be motivated to score every game and train hard. It refers to always having the image of the end of your life as your frame of reference to evaluate everything else. It’s about starting things with a clear idea of your destination, so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. If you have to be busy, at least you should be doing what’s important to you. Begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen. One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
"Organize and execute around priorities." 
You should always do the things you get first before anything else because they are of a higher priority and should be done right away. It means that anything that has a high priority should be done first it wont always be the first thing you get but it will most of the time. To become a master of your time, you need to first be aware of your priorities in the larger context of your life.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win
"Think win-win or no deal."
             This new habit is trying to teach us that we should always think positive and try our best to be determined, so that we can win. Everyone can be a winner, but only if we choose to do it. You chose whether you want to be a good or bad person. You set you're mind to win every time, when you do something even if its just homework. By helping each other out and working as a team we can all be.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
"Diagnose before you prescribe."
This new habit is trying to teach us how we should do things first before we are able to understand them. For example in order for us to pass a test, we need to study and practice. You have to understand the problems before you are able to solve them. In most cases you have to dig in and find what wrong before you are able to give an answer. I will use this new habit in my daily life because I will try to look out for the problem before I'm able to solve it. The quote at the right is telling us that those people who become successful in life, are the ones that do more talking and always listening to what you have to say, whether it's an opinion or fact. To be successful in life you can follow this habit and it will make you happy and life can be a little easier. This habit is also trying to tell us that people form opinions based on their own experiences and we just have to try and understand them. 
Habit 6:  Synergize
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts (1+1=3)"

This habit is very important because its the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.
Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw

Four Dimensions of Self-Renewal: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Social/Emotional

What I think this metaphor means is to practice. If you practice everyday then you'll be more experience that's what is means by sharpening the saw. It can be by any four social/emotional, spiritual, mental, or physical. Here is a physical example, if I practice everyday in soccer than more likely than not I will be better. By practicing it will increase my production on the field. I like this example on sports, but you can use it in education. Like when you're studying for that final exam, so you study all night. By studying all night you are sharpening the saw for the exam you are about to take. This is a great example because it shows how you can sharpen the saw physical or mentally. Spiritual example can 

be you studying your religion so you can be at peace with GOD.

Reflection: I believe that these 7 habits are very beneficial to anyone's life and even mine, they teach the correct qualities to live by. They allow self-guidence to result and only positivity to revolve around your character. These 7 seven habits also teach self-growth and can ultimately lead to a promising and successful future.