If it is to be...
In Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People he states that time management is actually a misnomer because "...the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves." How true is that! And to be honest, I had never considered that point of view.
At the Air Force Academy (Class of 2002 baby!) we were continually running from one event to another in an effort to balance our military, academic, and athletic disciplines. As a result I have always touted that the Academy is where I developed my time management skills... in fact, I really developed an ability to manage myself and my own actions. The choice was, and will always remain, mine.
On page 92--my favorite page in the entire book--Covey discusses ways we can control and change our lives "immediately." Who doesn't want that? Most folks want to change or alter some aspect of their lives for the better. So how do we do this? Well, he states that "We can make a promise--and keep it. Or we can set a goal--and work to achieve it." As we continue to make and keep these commitments to ourselves and others, "... we begin to establish an inner integrity that gives us the awareness of self-control and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives." Eventually our inner integrity wins out and, "...our honor becomes greater than our moods."
I like that... "our honor becomes greater than our moods"... there is power in those words. Because of this excerpt I started my quest for increased self discipline and personal mastery of my inner workings with a renewed focus and the realization that you are either growing or you or dying--there is no standing still. Admittedly that next step forward may be a difficult one, but as I maintain that desire for the attainment of new disciplines I will no longer be a victim of circumstance. Instead, I'll be a woman of my word imbued with a sense of honor and integrity that transcends even the most mundane of tasks. It's the set of my sail that determines my destination and it is set for success!
At the Air Force Academy (Class of 2002 baby!) we were continually running from one event to another in an effort to balance our military, academic, and athletic disciplines. As a result I have always touted that the Academy is where I developed my time management skills... in fact, I really developed an ability to manage myself and my own actions. The choice was, and will always remain, mine.
On page 92--my favorite page in the entire book--Covey discusses ways we can control and change our lives "immediately." Who doesn't want that? Most folks want to change or alter some aspect of their lives for the better. So how do we do this? Well, he states that "We can make a promise--and keep it. Or we can set a goal--and work to achieve it." As we continue to make and keep these commitments to ourselves and others, "... we begin to establish an inner integrity that gives us the awareness of self-control and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives." Eventually our inner integrity wins out and, "...our honor becomes greater than our moods."
I like that... "our honor becomes greater than our moods"... there is power in those words. Because of this excerpt I started my quest for increased self discipline and personal mastery of my inner workings with a renewed focus and the realization that you are either growing or you or dying--there is no standing still. Admittedly that next step forward may be a difficult one, but as I maintain that desire for the attainment of new disciplines I will no longer be a victim of circumstance. Instead, I'll be a woman of my word imbued with a sense of honor and integrity that transcends even the most mundane of tasks. It's the set of my sail that determines my destination and it is set for success!
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