Seven Habits of Successful People

1. Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Vision
2. Begin with the end in mind: Principles of Personal Leadership
3. Put first things first: principles of Personal Management
4. Think win/win: Principles of Interpersonal Leadership
5. Seek to understand, then be understood: Principles of Empathic Communication
6. Synergise: Principles of Creative Co-operation
7. Sharpen the saw: Principles of Balanced Self-renewal

"Habits" as the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire

Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm, the what to do and the why.

Skill is the how to do

Desire is the motivation, the want to do

In order for something to be a Habit, we must have all three

Even if I know that in order to interact effectively with others I really need to listen to them, I may not have the skill. I may not know how to really listen deeply to another human being.

But knowing I need to listen and knowing how to listen is not enough. Unless I want to listen, unless I have the desire, it won't be a habit in my life. Creating a habit requires work in all three areas.

Taken from "The 7 habit of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey