Seven habits of highly effective writers

"The seven habits of highly effective people" (S. Covey, 1989) has become a classic precisely because Covey's principles are applicable to both personal and professional responsibilities-from building a stronger relationship with one's family to becoming a more effective leader within one's business organization. I have tried to suggest some ways that Covey's paradigm might help us rethink the way that we approach the writing process. This article is my interpretation of how we can apply Covey's seven habits to writing. The habits are: (1) be proactive; (2) begin with the end in mind; (3) put first things first; (4) think "win/win"; (5) seek first to understand, then to be understood; (6) synergize; and (7) sharpen the saw (i.e. self-renewal).