Long-term thinking and planning are core values
In the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains in the book’s second habit that it’s important to “Begin with the End in Mind”. This habit is all about knowing your purpose and what you’re trying to achieve. Beginning with the end in mind is all about asking yourself questions to determine your long term objectives and the reasons behind wanting to achieve them.
Habit 2 is based on imagination–the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes, according to FranklinCovey. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don’t make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default.
“Are you–right now–who you want to be, what you dreamed you’d be, doing what you always wanted to do?” FranklinCovey
According to Covey, before you can live a purposeful, meaningful life, you’ve got to have a vision of what that life looks like. When you know how you want people to talk about and remember you at the end of our life, you can start taking action now to make that scenario a reality later. With the ‘End in Mind’, you’ll know what you need to do day to day and week to week to get there.
‘Begin with the End in Mind’ means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.
It’s never too late to change course.
“People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all of their might.” Dr. Stephen R. Covey
Personal journeys are all about defining your direction and moving towards it with consistency, perseverance and persistence. It’s important to remember that you are in control of developing your personal journeys to wealth, health and emotional well-being.
It’s imperative to understand that if you don’t have an end goal in mind, how will you know where are you going. How can you possibly know whether you’ve succeeded, failed or reached a place somewhere in between, if you don’t know your destination. Knowing your end goal can give you the continued motivation you need to achieve success.
Yet, the end product (goal) isn’t as important as the process. As Covey explains, “writing a mission statement changes you because it forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behavior with your beliefs.”
Additionally, it’s important to ‘focus on the process’. Remember, the important thing is that you’re intentionally thinking about what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning on a daily basis and how to get there.
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