Habit 2- Begin with the End in Mind
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
What does it mean to "begin with the end in mind"? Watch the video below and participate in the funeral exercise.
Funeral Exersice by Dr. Stephen Covey (from "The 7 Habits")
Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind
Mr. Covey says that Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. Just like you did with the funeral exercise, habit 2 instructs us to think about outcomes before we act. It challenges us to map out our destination before we begin our journey. In that way, our destination will guide our behaviors and interactions. 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. Let's hear what Steven Covey has to say about habit 2 in the video below.
Stephen Covey "Begin with the end in mind" on SkillSoft Leadership Development Channel
Putting Habit 2 Into Action - Developing a Personal Mission Statement
Covey says the Habit 2 is about imagination. 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. In order to find the guidance necessary to take control over you own life, Covey recommends that you create a personal mission statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision. I should be based on what is important to you and your future. This mission statement should be posted someplace where you can refer to it daily and make revisions as you grow.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Habit 2 Begin with the End in Mind
Please go to the link below to take the survey.
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Source: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey (1989)