Today was a lot to take in. In a GREAT way!  Day 1, the optional 7 Habits Overview Day was an incredibly refreshing look at the “paradigms and principles of effectiveness” and each of the habits.  I have so many “take-aways” from today that I’m not quite sure where to start.  If you are familiar with the 7 Habits, here is a quick video about the training materials and experience I participated in today. I have one of these sophisticated white boxes of treasures- for keeps!

 

One of the foundations reviewed before exploring each individual habit was the concept of character development- and its importance and relevance in our lasting effectiveness.

Highlights for now:

• The maturity continuum: Moving from dependence to independence to interdependence through private victories (Habits 1-3) and public victories (4-6). Keep it healthy with continuous renewal (Habit 7)
• Who are and have been my transition people? “This person breaks…ineffective learned behaviors and replaces them with …effective behaviors…passes on effective habits that strengthen and build others in positive ways.”
  • Thank them.
  • How can I become a transition person to someone else?
• I choose to write a personal vision/mission statement. Stay tuned.
• To do: eliminate the unimportant.  Manage the urgent/important (necessity), reduce the urgent/not important (distraction), eliminate the not urgent/not important (wastefulness), and live in the “not urgent, but important” (effectiveness).

So this is a lot right?  And those are just the PRIVATE VICTORY notes I jotted down.  Don’t think for a second I don’t have pages more of thoughts and quotes focused on the public victories and relationship building habits. I’m still doing some pretty deep introspective thinking on all this.  It’s one thing to teach these basic principles to elementary students; it’s another to get 3 days of comprehensive training in one full day on a very adult level. I’m so thankful for this opportunity. Excited for Day 2- School visits! Seeing these habits in action; elementary school style!

PS- I know you were wondering….  I already do have some SOLID leads on pen pals for my kiddos.  Whoop whoop!

“It is character that communicates most eloquently…in the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than what we say or do.”-Stephen R. Covey