Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind

At iLEAD, we believe consistent development and growth are vital to one’s well-being and to our community as a whole! Over the past year, our staff has been collectively studying and implementing the philosophies and exercises put forth by Stephen Covey in his widely renowned book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The concepts explored in this book are useful for people of all ages and from all walks of life! We will continue summarizing each habit in the Monday Message, and we hope it will encourage you to explore the habits at a deeper level by demonstrating and practicing them in your own environment.

Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind
In the second chapter of his book, Covey states that decisions must be made strategically. The author literally begins with the end when he asks the reader to imagine his/her funeral and what others might be saying and thinking. What do you want them to say? What do you want them to think? These are the real core values that you probably care about most, and should therefore be the ones on which you focus your life’s work, both personally and professionally.

Lead yourself toward your goals from the beginning and plan strategically. When you do this, you will find that you can anticipate obstacles and distractions. You will be able to cope and work with them more effectively! The planning you have already done will enable you to reach your goals faster and prevent you from wandering down wrong or unhelpful paths. Happy planning!