The 7 Habits...

Put simply - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is brilliant.

I was introduced to this life-changing book more that 15 years ago when working in management in the corporate headquarters at a major benefits provider company. At the time, I didn't realize it; but, I was truly in need of a better strategy to manage my time and garner greater results in multiple areas of my life. As I read, embraced and practiced the habits as Covey explained, the quality of my life improved.

The interesting thing is that it wasn't so much that the concepts were new. No, there were no big new amazing ideas for me. (Although the disposition of the tasks on the To Do List was pretty mind-blowing at the time.) Basically, for me, "the habits" were concepts with which I was familiar but they were now distilled, edited and delivered in a logical way that helped it to all make absolute and complete sense. In the beginning, I struggled with the (Benjamin) Franklin part of the original strategy that recommended keeping a calendar and notepaper handy at all times along with the practice of noting appointments, ideas, and Daily To Do Lists with codes. All that writing (actual handwriting not tapping on a screen) seemed like a waste of time. "Couldn't I just remember what I needed to do and where I needed to be?" "Aren't I wasting time writing when I could use the time doing?" "Do I really want someone to be able to pick up my "planner" and basically read my life?"

The answers were "no," "no," and "no, but get over it because you are so much more organized prepared, productive and, yes, effective as a result."

Upon reflection, it seems to me that this same kind of enlightenment can happen when a child completes an Etiquette Training Course.

Some children are blessed and lucky enough to have parents/teachers that teach and reinforce good manners and etiquette through example and gentle reminders. Some come from homes where there is no direction for how to behave mannerly. Still others are new to American culture and society and they must be taught the basic manners of the United States of America. Some parents might observe that their children could benefit from additional Etiquette Training but it may seem like a waste of time. "Couldn't my child just remember?" "Aren't I wasting time sending my child to Etiquette Training class when he or she might pick it up on his or her own eventually and/or intuitively?" "Do I really want someone else to provide Etiquette Training to my child?"

After careful consideration, these questions are best answered by the child's parents. When the answers are "no," "no," and "no, but get over it because my child is so much more thoughtful, pleasant and confident as a result."

Practicing good manners is a good habit.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Leverette

#7Habits #book #etiquette #children