Applying Zen to The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey's bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has been influential for many people from all walks of life. What separates this book from other similar ones is its philosophical nature -- that is, if you look for a tool book with step-by-step implementation tips towards the goal, this may not be the best one. And due to its philosophical nature, developing these fundamental qualities of highly effective people, I think, requires not only a right attitude but also a right methodology. I have been practicing Zen meditation for seven years, which I found extremely helpful in cultivating these qualities as an individual. What Zen has taught me and benefited me coincides well with what is laid out in this book. Below is the seven "habits" taught by the Zen philosophy, which have been listed in one-to-one correspondence to Stephen Covey's brilliant 7 habits.

1. Be in the present moment: The idea of the first habit in the book is not to waste time on something you can't control. This includes waiting for a phone call. The expected call can come in any unpredictable time, and devoting time solely on waiting is not efficient.

Zen teaches the philosophy of living in the present moment. That is, focus on the present instead of the past or the future, as the present is the only moment that you can use and control. Planning for the future is needed, but expecting how the future should entail -- and getting upset when it does not -- certainly doesn't help with the stress level and the efficiency. Focus on the reality, not the expectation.

2. Use every minute as the last minute: The idea of the second habit in the book is to figure out what the primary goals of your life are, by imagining what you want others to say about you at your funeral. This helps you to find out what truly matters and what doesn't, in your life. As a result, you are more likely and ready to spend the precious time on something worth most the investment.

Zen has a parallel on this. Our life is short and impermanent, and subject to any accidental ending. If you use every minute as your last minute, you will automatically figure out what matters the most and do it well. The result is a highly effective person.

3. Prioritize tasks and focus on doing each one: The third habit in the book focuses on the idea of prioritizing personal tasks. Categorize them as important/unimportant, and urgent/nonurgent. This can help you organize your priority and manage your time accordingly.

Zen practice has given me a clear mind, and meditation training has helped me to focus better. With the clear mind the priority of things is clear. With the ability to focus better, everything committed to do will be done with full attention and energy, therefore more effectively.

4. Put yourself in others' shoes: The fourth habit in the book delineates how to cultivate the win/win situation. In either a corporative or a personal setting, this means that both sides can benefit from the decision or the relationships. The fundamental idea is to think from other's perspective, and several exercises were provided in the book to help incubate that mindset.

Putting oneself in others' shoes can be hard to do, especially for an egotistic person. But what Zen teaches is deflate the ego. Through struggling with the physical discomfort on the mat or confronting the paradoxical Zen philosophy, your ego is reduced, and you intimately face the limitedness of your own perspective. Our perspective is anything but complete. And it is this partiality that causes interpersonal problems. If we truly understand that, we are in a better position to open ourselves to others' perspectives.

5. Don't assume: The fifth habit teaches to listen carefully and attentively when listening to other people talking. Also, avoid jumping to the conclusion prematurely, which often distorts the speaker's intention.

I have found Zen particularly helpful on this. After all, Zen, by nature, is taught without words. Zen is the whole and unboundedness, while words are always partial and limited. Think about this: How often in a conversation, after hearing a sentence or two, we start to interpret the speaker in our own way? How often in a conversation, we tend to grab only the information that matches our own perspective? Zen teaches "not to assume" -- not assuming what is about to be said. Every listening experience is unique by itself, and every speaker is unique in terms of what he/she has to share. Avoiding premature judgment leads to more effective communication.

6. Strengths and weaknesses are all relative: The sixth habit is related to the cooperation between people. If you are a company CEO, this habit can help to leverage each individuality's full potentiality and unique personality to create a mutually beneficial situation. The business will therefore flourish.

In Zen I have learned to take one step forward. It is important for us to know how to maximize each individual's strengths and minimize weaknesses as a team, as taught in this book. It is, however, equally important to understand that strengths and weaknesses only exist through comparison. And because of through comparison, it is easier for us to point finger at other's weaknesses than it is to improve on our own weaknesses. An effort devoted to reserving this can minimize the tension between coworkers and maximize the momentum of the company as a whole.

7. Renew yourself once in a while: The final habit focuses on the rewarding experience of refreshing yourself once in a while, by taking a break from the daily stress. This break can be in the form of joining a spiritual retreat, or just spending relaxing time with family on a Sunday afternoon. No matter what your preferred way is -- physical, mental or spiritual -- taking a break can always recharge you with fresh energy to bring back to work.

Zen practice is a practice that takes care of the physical, mental and spiritual aspects all at once. After a half-an-hour meditation, I always feel more relaxed physically, more open and clear mentally, and more content and peaceful spiritually. And this doesn't cost a dime -- all it takes is just some determination to make it into your daily schedule.