The seven habits of highly successful people

In 1989, Stephen Covey published a book called The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People which become a classic over the years. While Covey wrote about these habits in terms of workplace success, I believe these habits can also be applied to personal goals, especially health and well-being.

Here's my summary and interpretation of Covey's ideas:

1. Be Pro-active. Choose how you respond to situations instead of reacting from a place of fear, stress or emotion without thinking about what you'd like to achieve first. This is where you anticipate difficult situations or challenges to your state of wellness and brainstorm solutions. For example, I keep an allergy health journal where I have tracked over the years which foods, exercises, and healthy habits work well for me in managing seasonal allergies that I can refer to anytime I'm feeling stuck about how to increase my energy or lessen symptoms. This also refers to stepping back and taking a few deep breaths to think about your priorities instead of reacting in the heat of the moment. Training your body to relax with breathing is a simple and easy tool to shift you from "reactive" to "proactive".
   
2. Begin with the End In Mind. Set long-term intentions and use visualization and affirmations to manifest them. I talk about how to do this in my post about creating healthy habits here.
   
3. Put First Things First. Prioritize your time based on your long-term intentions. Make time in your schedule for all tasks that will help you achieve your important goals, and save seemingly urgent, less important tasks for later if you have time. This means scheduling time for personal healthy habits, self-care, rest and relaxation first.
   
4. Think Win/Win. Seek out mutually beneficial solutions to problems that solve not only your needs but others or all parties involved. Talk to your friends, family and co-workers about your wellness intentions. Seek out ways to support each other's intentions.
   
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Listen closely to other's concerns first before responding and talking about your own as a way to increase the likelihood of clear communication.
   
6. Synergize. Work with others in creatively collaborative ways that value differences, problem solving, innovation, and strengths. There are so many ways you and your friends and family can work together to help each other achieve health goals, and perhaps even go out into the greater community to encourage and inspire others too.
   
7. Renewal. Keep your energy and productivity up by taking care of yourself first through a carefully chosen lifestyle. The key to wellness is a balance of rest, relaxation, nourishment, movement, purpose and awareness.