Technical Writing and Communication Skills
Assignment 3 – Summary
Read one chapter from the book “Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People” and write a summary of around two pages.
Make sure you consider the traits of technical writing.
*The 5 traits of technical writing are accuracy, accessibility, conciseness, and clarity,
and audience recognition.
Make the Saw Sharp
We must take time to renew ourselves physically, spiritually, cognitively, and
socially in order to be productive. Continuous renewal enables us to strengthen
our capacity to practice each habit in a synergistic way. The seventh habit is
about renewal, or taking the time to "sharpen the saw." It surrounds and enables
all of the other behaviors by keeping and strengthening your most valuable
possession, yourself.
Our nature has four dimensions, each of which must be exercised on a regular
basis and in a balanced manner.
Physical dimension
- Firstly, the physical dimension, which refers to the objective of ongoing physical
progress through physical activity that improves our ability to work, adapt, and
enjoy ourselves. This dimension also includes eating well, getting sufficient rest
and relaxation. Concentrating on the physical dimension helps in the
development of the proactivity Habit 1 muscles. Rather than responding to the
forces that restrict us from being healthy, we behave based on the value of
well-being.
Spiritual dimension
- Secondly, the spiritual dimension; the purpose of renewing our spiritual selves is
to give our lives direction and to reaffirm our devotion to our values. You can
practice daily meditation, commune with nature, and immerse yourself in great
literature or music to spiritually renew yourself. We may exercise Habit 2 by
focusing on our spiritual dimension as we constantly review and devote
ourselves to our ideals, so we can start with the goal in mind.
Mental Dimension
- Thirdly, the mental dimension; the goal of renewing our mental health is to
continue expanding our mind. Reading decent literature, keeping a record of
your ideas, experiences, and thoughts, and limiting your television viewing to
those shows that improve your life and mind are all ways to mentally renew
yourself. Practicing Habit 3 by successfully managing ourselves to maximize the
utilization of our time and resources involves focusing on our mental
dimension.
Social Dimension
- Lastly, the social dimension; the goal of renewing ourselves socially is to develop
meaningful relationships. To socially renew yourself, you may aim to truly
understand others, contribute to important projects that improve other
people's lives, maintain an Abundance Mentality, and aim to assist others in
achieving success. Realizing that Win-Win solutions really exist, attempting to
understand others, and developing mutually beneficial third alternatives
through synergy, renewing our social and emotional dimension assists us in
practicing Habits 4, 5, and 6.
We must attempt to be a positive scripter for others while we focus on
reinventing ourselves along these four dimensions. We must strive to motivate
people to choose a higher path by demonstrating our faith in them, listening to
them empathically, and urging them to take action.
The true beauty of the 7 Habits is that improving one behavior boosts our
potential to develop the others in a synergistic manner.
Renewal is the process that allows us to continue on an upward trajectory of
development and change, and to improve.