We need good habits for personal growth. Some of the habits mentioned in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and the 8th Habit are good starting points. Ultimately it is about your own growth journey and how you go about it.
Stephen R. Covey was the author of 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. Then came his book the 8th Habit and added the Spirit element. While the first book has been more popular, combining the two gets us a holistic model approach closer to the spiritual nature of being and the world around us.
Putting into practice the tips from the 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People can change our life. It’s an approach that helps us to broaden our way of thinking and lead to greater opportunities and effective problem-solving.
Habits for Personal Growth
7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Quick Snapshot
- Be Pro-Active: Take the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen.
- Begin With an End in Mind: Start with a clear destination to understand where you are now, where you’re going, and what you value most.
- Put First Things First: Manage yourself. Organize and execute around priorities.
- Think Win/Win: See life as a cooperative, not a comprehensive arena where success is achieved at the expense or exclusion of the success of others.
- Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Understand then be understood to build the skills of empathetic listening that inspires openness and trust.
- Synergize: Apply the principles of cooperative creativity and value differences.
- Sharpen the Saw: Preserve and enhance your greatest asset, yourself, by renewing the physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional dimensions of your nature.
You can learn more about the book and the training programs offered by Franklin Covey at 7-habits
The 8th Habit – Quick Snapshot
An 8th habit is more about developing leadership skills. It’s an inside-outside and a more holistic approach. It’s about knowing yourself and your inner voice and then inspiring others to find their voice.
- Finding Your Voice
- Embracing the Change
- Developing Your Leadership
- Understanding Your Values
- Managing Your Emotions
- Connecting with Others
- Making a Difference
Through the 7 habits, we improve our ability to get things done. In the 8th habit, we start with finding our own voice.
Finding/ Discover Your Own Voice
| COMPONENTS | BASIC NEEDS | KEY ATTRIBUTES |
| BODY | TO LIVE | DISCIPLINE |
| HEART /MIND | TO LOVE | PASSION |
| MIND /INTELLECT | TO LEARN | VISION |
| SPIRIT | TO LEAVE A LEGACY | CONSCIENCE |
You can learn more about the book and the training programs offered by Franklin Covey at the 8th habit.
Personal Growth Journey
The 7 habit and The 8th habit books are for our personal growth and development. They take us through most of the aspects of personal growth and development that we are looking for.
7 HABITS — Dependence –> Independence –> Interdependence –> Continual Growth
As children, we are dependent on our families. As adults, we reduce our dependence and move on to become independent. However, no one is truly independent as we live in a world where we are dependent on other human beings. In fact, we are dependent on the earth and its natural resources, our own solar system, and beyond. The only thing is we do not pay much attention to these things as we are more concerned with what is most urgent for us.
If we are looking to become effective in this interdependent world, the tips in the 7 habits help us.
In our journey of personal growth, we look for things beyond being effective. Many of us seek recognition and like to lead teams, organizations, communities, and more.
8th Habit — Inner Voice –> Leadership –> Legacy /Contribution
We are looking to develop leadership skills, understand values, and emotional management, and connect with others well are important. The 8th habit comes in handy.
Holistic Personal Growth – 4 Dimensions
Personal Growth needs include the 4 dimensions of growth
| Dimension | Quotient |
| Body | Physical [PQ] |
| Mind /Heart | Emotional [EQ] |
| Mind /Intellect | Intelligence [IQ] |
| Spirit | Spiritual [SQ] |
Developing Habits for Personal Growth
Reading/listening alone does not help in developing new habits. Unless learning becomes a part of our being, it will not translate into sustainable habits. Our conscious mind and subconscious mind have to work together. The tools & techniques of neurolinguistic programming are very helpful for personal growth as they help in a change in behavior or habits.
By incorporating appropriate habits as part of our lifestyle, we can grow in various aspects of our lives.
- Independence and Freedom
- Success in Work and Money
- Growth – Leadership -Legacy
- Inner Voice – Satisfaction
- Inner Peace – Happiness
Not all of these aspects of life may be sustained or give us a sense of completeness. We need a model for success that is more comprehensive. We look at satisfaction, peace, and happiness on a sustainable basis. This model needs to incorporate the spiritual aspect of our being.