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7 Habits of Highly Effective People Applied to Physical Capacity

Have you ever heard of or read the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People written by Dr. Stephen R. Covey? If not, go out and buy it now! This was a best seller and has been on the market for years. I have read it 3 times already.

On an everyday basis, I speak to people about habit building. Compared to Dr. Covey, the way I talk about is vague in comparison. However, it is from people like Dr. Covey that I learn from in order to help you.

In this article I want to cover the first section of the book called Private Victory. In this section, he talks about three habits. They are Be Proactive, Begin with the end in Mind, and Put First Things First. Throughout the book he speaks of four capacities that must be continually developed in order to be whole. One of those capacities is the Physical Capacity. So, let's apply the first three habits to the Physical Capacity:

• Be Proactive: When most of you try to lose weight or get in shape, you are reactive. For example, you have a wedding or class reunion in a couple of months and you got twenty pounds you feel you need to lose. Therefore, you react by going on a diet. To compound it further, you will react to going on the latest craze diet like South Beach. You lose the weight so you can fit in your gown or tux, but you gain it back as soon as the event is over.
  
  Instead of being reactive, be proactive by having a regular regimen of physical activity and supportive nutrition habits. You can be prepared months in advance because you are already in great shape. By being proactive you have a schedule in place to do you weekly routines. This is all guided by goal setting to reach the primary purpose of getting involved in exercise and eating right to start with, which is to be healthy. It's health gain versus weight loss. Looking better is merely a side effect of the positive habits you have in place. Be Proactive!
  
  
• Begin With The End In Mind: How do you want to be remembered? At your funeral, do you want to be remembered as someone who had difficulty climbing stairs because you were obese? How about your children and grandchildren? Do you want your children or grandchildren to remember the times you went hiking, biking, or playing backyard football? Well, it will be hard to be remembered that way if you don't have the energy or stamina to play with them. You have to tell them you can't do it and they look at you confused and disappointed.
  
  If this struck an emotional chord, I'm glad. I didn't even scratch the service, but I hope my short illustration drives the point. That is, you must think about the outcome. The fact that you destroy your own body not only impacts you, but also impacts others. Furthermore, if you consider the consequences of inactivity and poor eating habits, you can vision getting fat, developing obesity, or getting an early heart attack. However, by getting involved in a regular physical wellness program you can vision being having more energy, being thin, and overall healthy. Begin with the end in Mind!
  
  
• Put First Things First: Out of the first three habits, this probably will be the most challenging for you. This habit is based around organizing and executing around priorities. Organizing and prioritizing priorities is managed by scheduling. So the question is, are you going to prioritize your health? The most common excuse I hear as to why you can't get involved in an exercise program is not having enough time. However, as Dr. Covey states, "time management is a misnomer, the challenge is not to manage time but to manage yourself." This management of yourself can be quite foreign, especially if you spend a lot of time managing other people other than yourself (sound familiar moms?).Now here is the deal breaker. In order to become more efficient at managing others better, you have to recognize that you have to make yourself a priority. You most take the time to include a weekly regimen of investing time into yourself, not just everyone else. By doing so, you will service those around you better, as you have more energy, are able to get more done in a shorter amount of time, provide a more positive influence, etc. Put first things first.