Sharpen the Saw to me means, having a balance in all areas of your life.” To be effective, we must devote the time to renewing ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially. Continuous renewal allows us to synergistically increase our ability to practice each habit.” I have been guilty of not being a well-balanced person. Physical I have worked out at least four times a week for the last fifteen year. I have realized that when I don’t get the proper rest for my body I actually cause it more harm than good. Habit 7 is one that I have been trying to work on for the last few years. I am not balanced in many area in my life and that can causes problems. Social/Emotional I feel I have many things that I can improve on. Spiritual/Service has been an area in my life that I would like to devote more time to. Mental: is one I am working on this week, I started reading again for enjoyment and to keep me mentally sharp. I use to read a lot when I was younger but as I got older it has been hard to find the time. I want to teach habit 7 to my family this week. I want us to grow as a family and have a well-balance life. I am hoping I can sharpen the saw by trying to find the right balance for all four of these aspects of my life.
Synergy is working together and knowing “two heads are better than one”. I have always been a team player in everything I do, I love working with someone who has passion in the task at hand. When we communicate with each other in an honest way you can create synergy amongst people and come up with new and innovative ideas. Opening ourselves to other ideas and points of views of others helps us to value other people’s strengths and learn from them. Covey states, “When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they're open to each other's influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.” I have made it my goal this week to try and create synergy with my coworkers. There are several projects we have in our department and synergy amongst us will lead to advancements in the right direction. When every individual works and communicates with the foundation of trust, respect and sympathy, everyone contribution is appreciated. This is something I’m going to share with my coworkers this week. Sometimes we come together for meetings and lack that synergy, I will remind my coworkers about habit 6 and remind everyone about the effectiveness of working together as a group.
Habit 5
SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD I really enjoyed reading and learning about habit 5. I am positive that this habit will help me and many other people improve our relationships with colleagues, friends and family. I don’t know why it is so difficult just to hear someone out without any perceptions. It’s almost like we have to give people we talk to our personal insight on everything, rather than just giving them an ear. Covey states “most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame of reference.” This is such an insight for me because I am always thinking of a response rather than hearing a person out. I do it with my family, students, parents and just about everyone I talk to. This week I will try and not judge any conversations beforehand, I will listen to what is been said and that’s it. My response will come when the conversation leans towards me. I will share this with my family this week and introduce them to habit 5, I feel this is a great lesson to teach my kids. |
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