This is the foundation on which all other habits will be developed. To be Proactive is to be naturally goal-oriented on a day-to-day basis and faithfully committed to results. It means not taking a backseat to circumstances which already exist — or are yet to be revealed. This first, of the seven habits, will teach you how to take the initiative in personal and professional settings — how to adapt to, handle and be the source of change — how to create actionable goals and obtainable results — how to maintain focus on your objectives and accept a broader range of responsibility — and how to project a greater element of influence on the situations and people around you.

Beginning with a focus on the final objective capitalizes on the notion of being proactive by creating a structure which turns motivation and focus into positive results. With an End in Mind strategy, you will create a vision of your goals and success that can be traced back in stages, allowing you to advance towards personal and team goals through measurable accomplishments and organized practices. This tactic makes it possible to strategize effectively and structure tasks in alignment with your very own vision of progress and achievement.

First things first is another way of saying prioritization, which teaches you how to develop an effective strategy and determine efficient ways of managing a life. You will learn to differentiate assign priority levels to all tasks — utilize planning tools to your advantage — recognize pivotal and key factors of time management — balance and fulfill top priorities — and employ successful delegation skills that eliminate time-wasting scenarios and utilize productive resources.

Win-Win thinking and practices make collaboration and teamwork a rewarding and effective experience. This habit teaches methods of building relationships based on trust and confidence — how to create goal-oriented incentives for the whole team — and how to develop a winning atmosphere that maximizes the potential of everyone involved. With a Win-Win mentality, effective negotiation skills and constructive business relationships are incidental to a determined outlook, collaborative thinking and a collective pursuit of objectives.

Proper true understanding of a project or problem develops strategic communication skills by highlighting effective listening to key points, and applying productive reasoning skills during valuable communication. Employing effective strategies in dialogue and correspondence helps avoid communication pitfalls, reinforces constructive interests and supports mutual understanding between parties. This develops balance in receptive and flexible communication skills, with the ability to offer conclusive input and feedback. Only then, can one build a context for advanced personal and mutual interests and the achievement of short and long-term goals.

Synergy builds on previous habits of planning and communication to achieve a new level of interaction, partnership and organizational potential. You will learn how to develop a fully-functioning team that is leveraged on individual strengths through collaborative unity by valuing and encouraging differences that will help determine collective creativity. These skills will help manage integrated decision-making and problem solving through a versatile approach based on unique skills, concepts and critical thinking in a team-oriented atmosphere.

Achieve and maintain life-balance by promoting growth and development through continuous improvement and the pursuit of knowledge. The journey we take to our destination is in itself an achievement along each step of the way. Habit 7 teaches us to balance our objectives and maintain a persistent course towards self-improvement even during success — because there is always room to grow no matter where you are.