7 Habits of Highly Effective People

What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Many might say they check their phones while some might prepare tea first thing in the morning. These routine habits which we perform every day are an integral foundation of our lives. Your daily behaviour, actions and words are somewhere linked to your habits that are the bedrock of your life. Psychology says that habits are learned, repetitive and reinforced behaviours which we are not born with. We strongly develop certain behaviours in reaction to a stimulus and they become more involuntary after each recurrence. It is extremely important to understand our habits because they unconsciously reflect almost half of our daily routine. Good habits can help you in improving your personal and professional life. This blog brings you the best 7 habits of highly effective people which can help you inculcate quintessential life skills, career skills and augment your personal and professional life!

“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” ―Samuel Johnson

Get Up & Exercise

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states. – Carol Welch

Featuring at the top of our list of 7 habits of highly effective people, exercising is actually considered as the gem of good habits. As a kid, we are highly involved in playing outdoor games but growing up, most of us avoid strenuous physical activities with excuses like tight schedule, too much on our plates or just pure laziness. But if you want to strengthen your physical and mental wellbeing, exercising should be an essential part of your daily routines. It has its evolutionary reasons for survival which have been passed on from our ancestors and hence, we require physical movement every day. As the work environment has become more and more constricted to our desks, various people have given into lethargy which also hinders the work potential. Just a 30-minute walk every day or fun exercises like Zumba, pilates or even mindful yoga sessions can significantly boost your energy levels, improve muscle strength, maintain your weight, improve cognitive functioning, is good for your heart, can help emotional wellbeing and the list could go on. You can begin with 5 or 10-minute exercises in your daily routines whether it’s just a short walk in the nearby park or playing leisure sports like badminton or football, and you will start to see the change!

Keep it Clean!

Yes, the classic Monica mood is on! Tidiness taps the aesthetic part of your brain and therefore you feel satisfied when you have your home/room/workspace is sheerly organized and clean. A research study by Princeton University found that a cluttered space can make it difficult for a person to focus on one particular task. The visual cortex in our minds can be distracted by irrelevant objects which makes it difficult for us to focus. Another research found that women with unorganized homes showed higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Similar studies show that tidiness just doesn’t have to do with impressing guests, it unconsciously helps you be relieved and peaceful in an extreme situation. Thus, we would also recommend you to keep your work and home spaces tidy and clean as part of our 7 habits of highly effective people because it helps maintain composure and discipline in one’s life. You will also feel higher levels of satisfaction when they are organized and clean. 

Chase Your Hobbies too!

Our bustling lives have created lesser time for ourselves and our interests. One important habit is to maintain your hobby. It could be something as small as collecting something or creating art and doesn’t necessarily have to make sense to anyone except you. If you ever feel you don’t know where your interest lies, remove some time to explore different skills and activities. A hobby not only calms your mind but can also act as a medium for you to interact with a social group with similar interests and passion. Many people across the world have turned their hobbies into full-fledged careers like painting, calligraphy, hiking, etc. A good hobby can also act as coping mechanisms when you’re stressed, angry, emotionally drained and want to spend time alone. Hobbies can help people overcome their bad habits by acting as a substitute to sublimate their energy in an optimal manner and feel satisfied.

Track your Budget Timely

It is extremely important for you to know where you spend your money. The online shopping sprees and subscriptions on OTT platforms have led to unnecessary expenditures in people’s lives and we’re all guilty of it. Another essential one in our list of 7 habits of highly effective people, budget tracking helps you keep yourself accountable, reduces financial pressure and improves your savings. Tracking your budget also helps you develop skills of self-control and instils discipline. You consciously make better decisions and do not spend impulsively. You can develop this habit by using a budget tracking application on your phone where you can add your expenses, receipts and assess them on a monthly and annual basis. checking them monthly. 

The Habit of Reading

“Read it as if it makes sense and perhaps it will.” – Frank Smith

Reading is also an incremental addition to the 7 habits of highly effective people. It is one of the best informative and entertaining mediums you must incorporate in your routine. Reading helps you tap into the latent parts of your brain. The importance of books in our lives is paramount as reading builds your imagination, augments your written and spoken communication skills, improves concentration and builds a stronger vocabulary. You explore places, people, cultures through pages of a book that helps you build empathy, understand others’ views and maintain a flexible mindset. Reading often feels like immense cognitive involvement and hence people resort to movies, videos, podcasts that require lesser efforts. However, if practised regularly, Reading is a habit that can be slowly developed. Begin with a page every day and slowly increase it. Once you build on this effective habit, you will automatically enjoy it!

Maintaining a Good Social Circle

Your tribe decides your vibe. A good social circle is essential for your growth which helps you stay motivated and up-to-date. The emphasis on a ‘good’ social circle shouldn’t come off as a surprise. We tend to go along and get influenced by many people in our lives. It is important that your friends are equally determined and sincere when it comes to achieving a goal. Your interests could differ, but the qualities should be mutual and focused. It doesn’t matter if you have a bigger social circle or just a few close mates you can spend good times. Make sure that you choose a good company as your friends can heavily influence your thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and sometimes even your lifestyle. Being one of the 7 habits of highly effective people, maintaining a good social circle even if it’s just a couple of good friends can help helps you to build on healthy competitions, discuss relevant issues, put out your emotions and also emotionally empowers you. If you feel drained around your friends, you need to rethink your choices. 

Journaling

“In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.” Susan Sontag

No, don’t get taken back by the task of writing. Journals don’t just have to do with writing, it could be a photo journal, drawing journal, food journal, prayer journal or even just a quotes journal. This book should be nestled with your thoughts, your life and your likes. At times, many of us don’t feel comfortable in voicing out our emotions to anyone else. Here, your journal comes handy in spilling your secrets and thoughts. It helps you improve yourself by keeping a check on your past-self. Being one of the 7 habits of highly effective people, maintaining a journal also improves your writing skills, and helps you be mentally clear. It’s like you’re indulging in a conversation with yourself. It is a habit that can gradually be developed. One doesn’t need to instantly start writing every day, one page per week could help. Slowly you’ll understand its depth and make it more frequent. Add hues, pictures, stickers and lines in your journal and make it your personal book with yourself as the author. 

Thus, just like Stephen Covey’s renowned take on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, we have brought you some of the best habits you can inculcate in your life to make it a little bit better, happier and enjoyable! If you are struggling with your career choices and need guidance at any stage of your academic and career quest, our Leverage Edu experts are here to help you! Sign up for a free session and get all your academic and career-related queries answered!