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About
Published in 1989, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a self-help book written by Stephen Covey that has helped shape leaders all around the globe with 25 million copies sold and translated to 38 different languages. This book provides step-by-step actions we can take to achieve holistic effectiveness.

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NOTE: To understand some of the concepts that will be mentioned in this chapter, make sure that you have read the previous chapters first:

• Inside-Out
• The Seven Habits - An Overview
• Habit 1: Be proactive.
• Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind.
• Habit 3: Put first things first.
• Paradigms of Interdependence
• Habit 4: Think Win/Win
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
• Habit 6: Synergize

We are finally down to the last habit! Next time around, I'll probably just go for book reviews instead of chapter reviews - I'm so worn out :/ which is why I needed a writing break. But anyway, thanks for waiting - and I hope that you will like this article! :)

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Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree
and I will spend the first four sharpening the [saw]."

Abraham Lincoln

OK, in the original text, Honest Abe said "sharpening the axe", but the message stays the same. How many of us say that we are too busy chopping down a tree (P activity) that we forget to sharpen the saw (PC activity / Quadrant 2 activity)? Habit 7 is all about personal PC. Habit 7 is all about investing in yourself.

Investing in yourself means renewing yourself in all four dimensions (Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual). Balance is not enough; they have to be in harmony with each other.

Physical

This is one of the most overlooked dimensions when it comes to success. Having a good body is not just about looking good; more importantly, it is about feeling good. A gym membership could be one of the most important investments you could make now. You could save yourself from hospital bills in the future.

Personal application: I have not applied for a gym membership yet, but I do exercises at home and play basketball whenever I can. Also, the physical dimension is not just a few minutes in the morning - this is a lifestyle (choosing healthy foods, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.)

Spiritual

This refers to your principles, values, and the way you lead yourself. Give yourself time to reflect on your Personal Mission Statement and revise if needed. Prayerful meditation, immersion in music / literature, or even a walk in the park for a few minutes could change the course of your day.

Personal Application: In the morning, after fixing my bed, I would meditate for a few minutes (which includes a thanksgiving prayer and visualizing what I would want to do for the rest of the day). Also, before going to bed, I read a chapter or a verse from the Bible and evaluate my day. Until now, I still struggle to do this daily, but I can't give up.

Mental

What are you feeding your mind? It is good to review who you follow on social media, what you read, and who you spend your time with. Again, what we learn within the four walls of the classroom is not enough. In the Internet age, there are millions of opportunities to learn new things for FREE.

Personal Application: YouTube is a great avenue for mental renewal. Personally, I recommend that you subscribe to Improvement Pill, One Percent Better, Gary Vaynerchuk, Practical Psychology, Beat the Bush, TED, etc. I am not one of those people who are against watching TV. I get a lot of value from watching Shark Tank, Kitchen Nightmares, and National Geographic. I also aim to read 50 books in a year.

Social / Emotional

Taking time to renew physically, mentally, and spiritually is called Daily Private Victory. Social skills, on the other hand, enhances your public victory. Enhancing social skills and interpersonal leadership are discussed in Habits 4, 5, and 6.

Personal Application: I have tried talking to 100 strangers in one month. Some interactions were awkward, and some were great. But in all of those interactions - I learned, and I got stronger emotionally. I could post in my Steemit blog about dealing with social awkwardness pretty soon (follow me @cbcheng if you want to know more). One of the methods I used to get rid of social awkwardness is through Rejection Therapy as inspired by Jia Jiang.

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"And Jesus grew in wisdom (mental) and stature (physical) , and in favor with God (spiritual) and [in favor with] man (social)."

Luke 2:52

Do not aim for work-life balance. Aim for work-life harmony.

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Thank you!

This ends my series on chapter summaries for this book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Hopefully, you have enjoyed and learned from my reviews. Can anyone suggest a book that I would read next? :D

If you have found value in this blog, please give an upvote / resteem - it would really mean a lot to me and it helps other steemians get value from this as well :) Otherwise, please do give a feedback on how my future posts can be improved! Either way, thank you for reaching the end of this post, and please follow my account as I'll be continuing this series. 'Til next time :D