How to Apply the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to Writing Your First Book
Howdy, everyone. It’s Chris Kelley here. I want to talk about a book that was highly influential on me during a formative time. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a book by Stephen Covey. The book teaches you how to be more organized, focused, and productive and achieve your goals more effectively.
I was exposed to it while training to be an elementary school teacher. Although nothing could have fully prepared me for what was ahead, this book helped provide an excellent framework I still think about today in my pursuits of start-up and writing.
When I came across the 7 Habits, I wasn’t just training to be a teacher. I was also dedicating myself to a book I wanted to write. If you’re an aspiring writer, you know writing a novel or a book can be challenging, but by applying these habits, I believe you can increase your chances of success and achieve your writing dreams. So, let’s dive in and see how you can use these habits to become a published author!
What’s with these 7 habits, after all?
You may have heard of these principles before. It’s a popular book. (40 million copies sold). The book has reached heights because it appeals to such a broad audience. Whether you’re focused on improving yourself in business, education, writing, or family life, this book will resonate in some way.
The paradigm of habits spans a spectrum from dependence (relying on others) to independence (self-mastery) to interdependence (we are all connected. We need each other to thrive and achieve our goals).
‘Life is, by nature, highly interdependent. To try to achieve maximum effectiveness through independence is like trying to play tennis with a golf club’ -Stephen Covey
Disclosure:
If you haven’t exposed yourself to these habits and the paradigm, I recommend checking it out. It will provide more context to this article, but it’s unnecessary to get some great advice.
Why Writing and Efficiency Matter
Applying the seven habits to the discipline of writing certainly helped me get through the marathon experience of writing an entire novel. It’s a pretty audacious goal to write a book so let’s face it, if you want to become a published author, you’ll need all the help you can get!
You may have the knowledge, skills, and desire to write, but for me, at least, the habits are what made it possible. Consistency is vital in the game of writing. Getting a good foundation for the work is the challenge to focus on. The results will follow. It may take way longer than you anticipate, but keep the process in mind, and you’ll have a chance.
All writers struggle to find the time to write but even more so, many writers starting are spare-time writers who don’t have the luxury of diving full-time into a book writing project. So, a consistent approach is even more critical when you can only chip away at a boulder part-time.
The more organized, focused, and productive you can be, the more likely you will achieve your goals. That’s why the first goal, being proactive, sets the foundation.
Habit 1
Be Proactive
Imagine yourself taking control of your own life and making positive progress toward your outline, your first chapter, or wrapping up your whole book. Seem daunting? It’s for good reasons. This shit isn’t easy. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. But if you finish, you’ll be in the minority. So here’s the breakdown of how to get proactive.
Successful writers take the initiative to research and write their work rather than waiting for inspiration to strike or for someone else to give them an idea. Get in the business of jotting down your thoughts. I used a mix of digital tools like Evernote, Google Docs, and Apple Notes to capture ideas or inspiration. Carrying around a pen and paper allows you to access your thoughts in a way that doesn’t distract you like your phone’s latest notification will.
This habit emphasizes taking responsibility for your actions and decisions rather than reacting to external events. In other words, it’s about being in control of your own life rather than being controlled by external circumstances or other people.
I call this principle ‘Input vs. Output.’ In today’s mobile-first world, we’re bombarded with infinite feeds and endless news cycles. If you don’t take action to block it out, you’ll never get your thoughts and ideas out. Get more words down per day! Take more notes. Record audio notes. Whatever it is, push back against the noise. If that means hanging up on this article, do it! You can always follow me and come back to this ;)
The point is–don’t wait for others to give you instructions, inspiration, or permission. Act on your ideas and plans. This can help you move forward and make progress, even if you don’t have all the answers or resources. Get used to letting that feel good. Trust that you alone can tell the story or write the book you have in mind.
Don’t fall into the trap of blaming others or external circumstances for your mistakes or misstarts.
Don’t get stuck in your ways or rigid thinking, but be open to new ideas and perspectives and adapt to changing circumstances. This can help you stay creative and innovative and can also help you avoid getting stuck or overwhelmed.
Okay, enough don’ts! It’s time to get positive! Don’t let negative thoughts or emotions control your actions. (Damn, did I do it again?) Maintain an optimistic attitude, and focus on what you can control and influence. This is what being proactive does. It can help you stay motivated and engaged and can also help you attract positive opportunities and experiences you can hardly even imagine at the start of your journey.
There’s no time to sit around and wait for someone to discover your talent or for the perfect idea to hit you out of the blue. Get out there and publish. Get your first readers before you’re ready. You’ve got to take the initiative and make things happen for yourself.
This means putting in the time and effort to improve your craft and seeking opportunities to showcase your work. It means building relationships with agents and publishers if you want to take that route or pick up skills that can help you find audiences on your own.
In short, be proactive and make your luck. Because at the end of the day, no one else will do it for you. Get out there and hustle, my friends!
Habit 2
Begin with the end in mind
An effective writer sets specific goals for their writing, such as completing a certain number of words or chapters per day or publishing a certain number of articles or books within a particular time frame.
Early on, when I started writing my book, I remember telling my former college professor that I was going to write a novel, and the first thing he asked was, “Do you know how it ends?” I stammered but tried to reply, “Yes!” I only had the foggiest idea at the time of what the ending looked like. But, I don’t think he was trying to get an accurate answer from me, but more importantly, to get me thinking about that endpoint.
As a pitcher picks a spot to focus on the catcher before throwing a pitch. I had to ask where I wanted my main character to end up on the final page.
We can track our progress as we build our craft by setting specific goals and plans for achieving them. It’s about having a clear vision of where you want to go and taking action to make it a reality. This is where you may need to go outside your comfort sphere and hire help. If that’s not in the cards for you at this moment, no problem; here are some ways to apply this habit in your daily life:
Identify your goals: Take the time to think about what you truly want to achieve and clarify your goals in specific and measurable terms. This can help you focus on what truly matters and avoid getting sidetracked by less important or unimportant goals.
Plan your steps: Break your goals down into smaller and more manageable steps and create a plan for achieving each one. This can help you stay organized and on track and can also help you make progress toward your goals, even if you need more time or resources.
Visualize your success: Use visualization and other mental techniques to imagine yourself achieving your goals and experience the feelings and benefits that come with it. As a creative, this is where you must flex that empathetic muscle. Keep imagining what your characters would do next! If you’re writing non-fiction, ask what a successful outcome would look like for your reader if they take your advice to heart. This can help you stay motivated and focused and can also help you overcome challenges and inevitable obstacles along the way.
Review and adjust: Regularly review your goals and progress and adjust your plans and actions accordingly. It’s okay to pivot. In fact, if you aren’t, you likely need to adjust your open-mindedness setting up a notch. This can help you stay aligned with your goals and values and can also help you adapt to changing circumstances or needs.
By practicing the habit of beginning with the end in mind, you can set yourself up for success and achieve your goals more effectively.
Habit 3
Put first things first
This habit is a game-changer. It’s about figuring out what’s essential and then doing the important stuff first. Because let’s face it, a million things are competing for our attention every day. But not all of them are worth our time.
So, we must learn to filter out the noise and focus on what truly matters. That’s how we make progress and get ahead in life. And that’s what habit number 3 is all about–don’t waste time on things that don’t matter.
Focus on what truly matters. Take action and make progress. Be a doer, not a dud. That’s how you get ahead in work. Neil Gaiman prioritizes writing and avoids getting sidetracked by less important tasks or distractions by using a fountain pen and pad to stay in the flow of his work.
Focus on what truly matters, and take action to progress towards your goals. If that means small incremental wins, so be it! Take your couple hundred words and move on to the next day.
Consistency means sacrificing old habits for your new aspirations.
Here are some ways to apply this habit in your daily life:
Identify your priorities: Take the time to identify the things that are most important to you, such as your goals, values, and priorities. Take time to reflect on your day to take inventory of your daily activities. Distill down what matters. Avoid wasting time on things that don’t align with your priorities.
Plan your day: Use calendars and to-do lists to organize your tasks and activities, and prioritize the most important ones. This can help you stay on track and avoid getting overwhelmed and can also help you make progress towards your goals.
Stay focused: Avoid being distracted by less important tasks, such as constantly checking your phone or email or multitasking. This can help you maintain your concentration and productivity and can also help you avoid burnout and stress.
Review and adjust: Regularly review your priorities and progress and adjust your plans and actions accordingly. This can help you stay aligned with your goals and values and can also help you adapt to changing circumstances or needs.
By practicing the habit of putting first things first, you can focus on what truly matters and take action to progress towards your goals.
Habit 4
Think win-win
With this habit, we start to go into what Covey covers as interdependence — working with others to achieve our highest potential. Seeking to create value for your readers and not just your interests sit at the base of this habit.
Your goal with this habit is to find mutually beneficial solutions in your interactions with others. In other words, it’s about looking for ways to create value for yourself and the other person rather than just focusing on your interests.
This may be your partner, your children, your literary agent, your readers, your publisher, your illustrator, or whoever, but it’s crucial to empathize and consider whom your work may impact.
Here are some ways to apply this habit in your interactions with others:
Focus on the relationship: Rather than seeing the other person as an adversary or opponent, build a relationship based on mutual respect and trust. This can help you create a more collaborative and positive dynamic and lay the foundation for future interactions.
Look for common ground: Identify areas where your interests and the other person’s interests overlap, and focus on finding solutions that benefit both of you. This can help you avoid conflicts and power struggles and create a more satisfying and mutually beneficial outcome.
Explore multiple options: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and consider a wide range of possible solutions. This can help you find creative and innovative ways to meet your and the other person’s needs.
Communicate openly: Share your thoughts and feelings with the other person, and listen to their perspective as well. This can help you understand each other’s needs and interests and facilitate the development of a win-win solution.
By practicing the habit of thinking win-win, you can create more positive and productive interactions with others and build more satisfying and mutually beneficial relationships.
Habit 5
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
An effective writer listens to feedback and critiques from others and takes the time to understand their perspective before responding and defending their work.
This habit emphasizes the importance of listening to others and trying to understand their perspectives before communicating your own. In other words, it’s not just about talking and being heard but also about actively listening and trying to understand the other person’s point of view.
Here are some ways to apply this habit in your interactions with others:
Listen actively: Pay attention to what the other person is saying, and try to understand the meaning behind their words. Avoid interrupting or jumping to conclusions, and focus on genuinely hearing and understanding their perspective. Even if you feel like the conversation is going nowhere, there still may be insights you can make by giving someone more room to speak.
Ask clarifying questions: If you don’t understand something or want to know more about the other person’s perspective, ask open-ended questions to encourage them to expand on their thoughts and feelings. Asking questions needs to be seen as a sign of intelligence and curiosity. Explore the space you are in. It really is okay not to know everything.
Empathize: Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and try to understand their feelings and experiences. This can help you see things from their perspective and build trust and connection between you. For my fiction writers out there, this will help you write many voices.
I was constantly struggling with the right thing to say for all my different characters. That’s why asking someone else, in my case, my wife or my book coach, what someone would do or say can be so insightful.
Reflect back: After the other person has finished speaking, summarize or paraphrase what they said to show that you were listening and that you understand their perspective. This can also allow them to clarify or expand their thoughts. As well as help you retain information.
By practicing the habit of seeking first to understand, you can improve your writing and relationships with others and create more mutually beneficial and satisfying interactions. It is also important to note that many fantastic writers have sought out wild experiences where they gather understanding from the world around them. It pays to have collected wisdom when it comes to writing. With this habit in mind, go out and see what the world has waiting for you to uncover.
Habit 6
Synergize
An effective writer may work with other writers, editors, or publishing professionals to create and market their work, leveraging their collective skills and expertise to achieve more than they could individually.
Did you know J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were members of a literary group in England called the Inklings? How about James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald all being a part of a group called Stratford-on-Odeon? Or a meeting place called the Factory where Andy Warhol hosted artists, musicians, and writers like Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, and Salvador Dali?
This habit emphasizes the importance of working together with others to achieve more than you could individually. In other words, it’s about leveraging the strengths and skills of different people to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Here are some ways to apply this habit in your interactions with others:
Collaborate: Work with others to combine your ideas and perspectives and create solutions that are better than what you could have come up with on your own. If you hire a coach or freelancer to help with your book, take them into your journey. Let them know what makes you passionate about your project.
Value diversity: Recognize and appreciate the different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that other people bring to the table. Going beyond your comfort zone for whom you ask for help can go a long way here. This can enrich your thinking and help you develop more creative and innovative ideas.
Communicate openly: Share your thoughts and ideas with others, and encourage them to do the same. This can foster trust and collaboration and help you build stronger relationships with your teammates or colleagues. Use technology tools to your advantage. Hit that share button!
Celebrate success: When you achieve a goal or solution with others, take the time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of everyone involved. It feels good to be recognized. This can help build morale and motivate everyone to continue working together.
By practicing the habit of synergizing, you can create more effective and productive teams and achieve more success in your personal and professional endeavors.
Habit 7
Sharpen the saw
Take time to improve your skills and knowledge by reading, writing, attending workshops or classes, or networking with other writers.
This is also vital to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being to ensure you can produce your best work. This process could take you far, so don’t sacrifice your well-being here. You need a sustainable strategy. Burnout is your sign to hit the brakes. A race car isn’t a one-pedal machine.
This habit emphasizes the importance of renewing and improving yourself in all four areas of your life: physical, mental, social, and spiritual. Take time to nourish your creative side. In other words, it’s about maintaining and enhancing your happiness to continue performing at your best.
Here are some ways to apply this habit in your daily life:
Physical: Take care of your body by eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. This can help you maintain your physical health and energy and improve focus and concentration. Get sunlight when you wake up. Don’t rely on caffeine to power your evenings. Sleep monitoring apps have acted as a guide for me to calibrate my readiness for each day. We’ll go into that in another post, but take a balanced approach to your health, and your results will show.
Mental: Challenge your mind by learning new things, solving puzzles, or engaging in creative activities. This can help you stay sharp and mentally agile and provide mental stimulus and gratification. My goal is to be writing late into life, so taking the long game here is an approach I recommend. Also, consider picking up a habit like journaling. It’s proven that gratitude exercises help well-being and stress.
Social: Connect with others by building and maintaining relationships with friends, family, and colleagues. This can provide support, encouragement, and serenity, so you develop new skills and perspectives. Connecting with others can help you connect the dots in your own stories and books.
Spiritual: Nourish your soul by engaging in activities that are meaningful and fulfilling to you, such as volunteering, practicing a religion, or engaging in creative pursuits. This can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and help you connect with something greater than yourself.
By practicing the habit of sharpening the saw, you can maintain and enhance your overall well-being and continue to grow and develop as a person.
Summary
All right, let’s wrap this up. In this post, we’ve discussed how the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People can help aspiring authors become more effective and successful in their writing journey. We’ve talked about how each habit can be applied and how it can help you achieve your goals and realize your dreams as a published author.
So, if you’re an aspiring author, I want you to take this seriously. These seven habits are not just some fancy theories or abstract concepts–they are practical tools that can help you take control of your writing career and make positive progress toward your goals.
Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, and seek first to understand, synergize, and sharpen the saw. And when you do, you’ll start seeing results — you’ll become more focused, organized, and productive, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a published author.
You’ve got this. And if you need any help or support along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out to me — I’m here to share what I’ve gone through.
The world needs your story, and you have what it takes to make it a reality. Go forth and conquer, my friends. Apply these habits in your writing journey, and may the literary gods be with you!
