Stephen Covey, the writer of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, presents a scenario. In the second chapter, he encourages readers to picture their funeral. You enter the room, look at the faces of those in attendance, and then you review the program, which lists the speakers. 

What Do You Hope the Speaker Will Say About You?

• You were a good friend, father, or brother.
• You were the best at your job for the company.
• You lived an honest, good life.
• You will not get forgotten because of your impact on their life.
• They will forever remember how you lived your life.

Think about the characteristics and attributes you want people to remember about you. Here's the thing, though: if a quality about you is memorable, it is most likely a habit of yours. It's an act you often do.

So, Your Legacy Depends on What You Do Most Days

• A hard worker ranks working higher than self and family time.
• A family person tries to be there for loved ones.
• Successful people commit to excellence and earn a high income.

Whether you achieve your goals or not, people will remember you for the actions you did most times - your daily habits. Do you like the person you are most days? Can you look in a mirror and reflect on your decisions with pride? If not, every day you get the chance to choose a different lifestyle.

Ask yourself more of Covey's thought-provoking questions. Here is a link to the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

This article is part of our Business Coaching blog series. At Dataczar we talk to a lot of small businesses. We’ve found a few books that we keep recommending time and again. To better help our customers, we’ve added a Reading List for Small Businesses to our website. We encourage every small business owner to read and keep these timeless business books on their office shelf.

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