Response Piece on 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Essay by adrienne5583High School, 12th grade April 2007

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If I have learned anything in the duration of this class, it is that proactivity is a key skill to success. The idea of being "proactive" means to do "more than merely taking initiative". It means that "we, as human beings are responsible for our own lives" (Covey 70). It is defined on principles of responsibility, freedom to choose, and determination. Internalizing the habit of being proactive has helped me achieve more academically, socially, and in a working environment.

To internalize something means to "take it in and make it an integral part of the attitudes and beliefs that guide your behavior" ( Being proactive is important in many environments because it allows the person internalizing it to reach their fullest potential. That person can then go on to have a fuller sense of self, a more effective means of approach on problems, and a more useful way to deal with dilemmas.

Before internalizing the habit of being proactive, I would procrastinate often, and didn't think about buying a new car to replace the one that I had ruined end of August. I didn't think of the future when my parents told me that they had wanted to move to Virginia, nor what I was going to do once I had graduated CollegeÃ¢ÂÂ¦ or if I would even graduate. I would allow my sister to goad me into bad moods every other day, and even allow my parents to put me down and depress me from time to time. It took me a while to realize that I could overcome that.

Since then, I have personally internalized the habit of being proactive in every aspect of my life. In my social life, I have realized that not everything that a friend may or may not do will affect the way...