7 Habits for a Life Filled with Passion and Purpose

This week in class we focused on learning the seven habits of highly effective people found in the book of the same name written by Steven R. Covey. It was interesting to me to see some familiar concepts that I have learned at various workshops and conferences throughout my life.  I have never read the book itself, but the first three habits that our reading covered, be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first, were all concepts that I have been taught previously. Each of these three habits together form the basis of what Mr. Covey calls the private victory.  The private victory is, essentially, getting yourself under control first.  These three habits help us consciously choose our reactions to our circumstances, create a destination for ourselves based upon our talents, interests and strengths, and then learn how to manage our time effectively.  All three skills are critical to have in our personal tool box in order to be successful in any endeavor we wish to achieve.  It's no wonder, then, that I have encountered each of these three habits through various opportunities in my life. I have been well on my way to practicing and mastering my own private victory for quite some time.

The concepts that were new to me, however, were the three additional habits that encompass our public victories. These three habits consist of thinking with a win/win mentality, seeking to understand before seeking to be understood, and then creating synergy.  All three of these habits intuitively make sense to me.  We are much more successful in our relationships whether they be business or personal when we are seeking for a good outcome for all involved.  Unfortunately, that concept does not seem to often play out in the world.  Numerous examples abound of people looking out for themselves at the expense of others. Doing so creates a cynical mentality where we look at others with suspicion and are constantly wondering what their angle is.  It can be exhausting trying to form a relationship in that kind of arena.  Similarly, as the reading pointed out, too often people try to make sure that they are heard and understood.  We listen to respond with our own position.  We often fail to listen to understand the other's position first.  Communication is frustrating when each person can only talk past each other going around in circles but never stopping to see each other's point of view. Finally, the concept of synergy is something that I would love to experience in a working relationship in my life.  Synergy is when the sum of of the parts of the people working together far exceeds the simple addition of each part that is offered.  Synergy is a creative process where ideas are compounded upon each other to birth the existence of something great.  

I would like to add more public victories to my life.  I feel like I have a good handle on the private victories, but I could add so much more purpose to my life and put the passions that I have to better use if I concentrate on building these last three habits.  Ultimately, our passion and purpose is always greater and more rewarding when it serves to benefit someone else.  Working on the habits that build our public victories focuses our energies on serving others.  A life focused on serving others, always lifts and fulfills the one doing the service as well. It really is the ultimate win/win.