Seven Habits
New ways of being effective at work and play
About the Course
This course grows out of a desire to teach personal effectiveness to BC Endurance student-athletes. What sort of course would I invent to achieve this goal?
I was given insight from Maiju Kutty, one of our BC Endurance leaders. He pointed out that Steven Covey had relied on an understanding of the East Indian Bhagavad-Gita in writing his seminal book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” Indeed, when I reread Covey’s book, I could see obvious parallels between his seven habits and the Gita’s spiritual principles.
I was struck, for instance, by Covey’s idea that effective people take absolute responsibility for their behavior. He claimed that everything we do in life has immediate cause-and-effect repercussions. It’s those repercussions that we are responsible for, whether we know it or not. I had already learned this principle from my study of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy. It’s called the natural law of karma.
for Covey’s book was primarily people working in large American business organizations in the 1980s. He must have realized that a “foreign” concept such as karma wouldn’t fly with his intended audience. So he never used the word in his book, but the idea—that our thoughts lead to action, and our acts always have related consequences—was there, nonetheless.
I decided to restate Covey’s seven habits, using 5-level scales that describe the full range of seven habit areas, each of which which is fundamental to effectiveness in life. See below for an example measuring belief in karma.
Here’s a way of measuring a person’s understanding and belief in the karmic principle.
- The person works to avoid unwanted karmic repercussions by immediately acknowledging mistakes and making amends. Works to make every personal decision value-driven and positive, seeking always to improve one’s behavior, personal circumstances, and the circumstances of others.
- The person knows about karma and reflects on its behavioral effects but doesn’t always act to enhance or ameliorate them. Vacillates between choosing to act according to personal knowledge of what’s right and wrong and an inability to rise above a constraining past and current circumstances.
- The person knows about karma but doesn’t think it has a significant (good or bad) effect on personal circumstances. Often driven by moods, emotions, and reactive thoughts, rather than a conscious awareness of our real-life experience and one’s ability to change it for the better.
- The person hasn’t conceptualized karma and has little awareness of how thoughts, words, and behavior affect personal circumstances. Usually thinks of oneself as a victim of circumstances, merely and innocently watching things happen but believing there is no way to affect life changes.
- The person is completely unaware of the way personal behavior has created a lifetime of unwanted and deplorable circumstances. Never considers the possibility that one can change the world including other people by changing oneself. Serious commitment is avoided at all costs.
Course Outline
Introduction. Paradigms and Principles of Effectiveness.
Part I. Personal Self-management and Independence.
1. Be Proactive (the habit of personal responsibility).
2. Begin with the End in Mind (the habit of personal vision).
3. Put First-Things First (the habit of personal management).
Part II. Relationships with Others.
4. Think Win-Win (the habit of mutual benefit).
5. Seek First to Understand, Then Understood (the habit of empathic
communication).
6. Synergize (the habit of creative communication).
7. Sharpen the Saw (the habit of daily self-renewal).
Members: $30
Note. The first class session is an orientation and carries no obligation to continue or pay.
Newcomers: $50
If you become a member during the course, $20 will be refunded.