Begin with the end in mind is the second of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In the book, Convey states that to create anything, there are two steps involved. The first step is the mental stage, where you imagine what you want to achieve, and the second step is the physical where you bring your imagination to life.
Can you visualize what you want to achieve? What are the activities involved for you to achieve that dream? What are the actions you’ll take daily to make the life you want possible? When you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve, it makes it easier to eliminate distractions and everything that doesn’t align with your life goals.
Often, people pursue others’ dreams because they look good, because it’s what society applauds, not what they really want in life. Most people will say they’d love to be a company’s CEO, a renowned businessperson, or a famous millionaire, but not everyone will live these dreams because they can’t put in the work involved. Again, not everyone would love to have a family, travel the world, or own a holiday home in Diani. Some desire a quiet life in the upcountry with close family.
Since we all have different paths in life, it becomes critical to pursue only the things that bring us fulfilment, things we are proud of and only the things that give us meaning-a life of purpose. Hence, beginning with the end in mind prevents you from being carried away, seeking empty success that is meaningless.
With the end goal in mind, you can work towards manifesting the job you’ll enjoy, the house you want to live in, the family you wish to have, the people you want to wake up to daily, or the business you hope to run. It all starts in mind. Beginning with the end in mind helps you to keep your eyes on the prize, despite the setbacks that come with pursuing your dreams.
So, how do you manifest the life you want using this strategy?
Articulate what you want
Here, you can start with the overall goal of what you want to achieve in life. You can also break it down into small chunks in terms of the projects you are currently working on. Further, you can create daily goals and activities. With this in check, visualize how the projects, life achievements, daily goals, and the life you want looks like. Be precise on every aspect of the things you want to accomplish.
Be honest
Take another step and be brutally honest about your current situation. How far are you from your goals? The more sincere you are about your current situation, the more committed you’ll be in pursuing your dreams.
Forge a way forward
You are clear on where you are, and you have a clear vision of where you are going. Now it’s time to draw a straight line that connects your present state and your vision. Begin with the end in mind and work backwards. In your mind, visualize the end result and imagine the step immediately before it. Continuously work backwards, outlining the steps you’ll take to bridge the gap between your goals and your current situation.
Write your mission statement
With a clear vision, where you are, and the steps you’ll take to reach your goals. It’s now time to write a personal mission statement, which you can modify throughout the years until it’s refined to reflect the direction you want to take in life.
At this stage, think about your life’s purpose and why it’s important to you. This is your why. Also, include steps you’ll take to pursue your purpose. In short, you are merging the steps above into a perfect piece that reflects who you want to become.
Commit
Yes! It’s important to begin with the end in mind, but if you won’t fully commit to the process involved, having a goal in mind is in vain. From now on, as you work towards your 2021 resolutions, wake up every morning with the picture of what you want to achieve and the person you want to become. Let that dictate the steps you take, your actions, the people you relate to, and the things you allow yourself to do. Let that picture be the reason you don’t give up this year. Nothing or no one can stop you except you.
