One of the really influential books in my life has been The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People by Steven Covey.
It's not a christian book as such, but it does give you insights into making the most of your life, work and relationships.
Two points really stuck with me: the idea of a personal mission statement and his design for a weekly planner.
Last week, I was reflecting on how pressured I feel at times, yet I mostly am not terribly busy. In the cause of my musings, I remembered Covey's book, and decided to revise my mission statement to think about what I am missing about my life.
As I read the statement, first written over 15 years ago, I was struck by how relevant it still is. While some details of my life have changed, the core purpose of what I am about has remained unchanged. Basically it's about serving Jesus in all I do.
In Covey's approach to this, part of the deal is to think about the different roles you fulfil in life (husband, father, son, work etc.) and to then relate these back to your mission. Covey's weekly planner then takes these roles and goals as the starting point. This means that you revolve your whole weekly planning around your mission, instead of just reacting to external events.
It's been a while since I've used this but I've just restarted and I'm finding that my life is more focussed, more directed and more fruitful.
Read more about Steven Covey here
No comments:
Post a Comment