The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Habit 2

A few posts back I wrote about the first habit of Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. This post is about the second habit: begin with the end in mind.

As Covey explains, the first habit tells you that you’re the programmer. The second habit then tells you to write the program. That is, once you take responsibility and see yourself as the creator of your life, you need to ask yourself: “What do I want to create?” Habit 2 is the goal-setting habit.

Covey suggests that you see yourself walking into a funeral parlor and noticing that it’s filled with people that you know. As you walk to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you realize that the funeral is for you. It’s three years from today. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What does each of the speakers say about you as they walk up to the podium?
• What contributions and achievements would you like for them to mention?
• Have you made a positive difference in these people’s lives?

Here’s a quote from Covey: “We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we begin with the end in mind.”  In order to begin with the end in mind you need to ask yourself the following:

• Do I really know what I want?
• Do I know what’s most important to me?
• Do I have long-term goals? Do I have mid-term and short-term goals that will move me closer to my long-term goals?

Before an architect builds a house, they create a blueprint. Before someone starts a business, they create a business plan; the business plan includes an exit strategy, as well as where they plan to be a year after the business is started, in two years, in three years, and so on. In much the same way, you need to write the last chapter of your life and then decide what has to happen in each preceding chapter in order to get you there.

Begin With the End in Mind is About Visualization

Covey explains that everything is created twice: first in the mind and then in reality. We need to focus on what we want to see created in our lives. In my blog post “How to Prepare Yourself for Success” I refer to Arnold Schwarzenegger and how he went from being an unknown actor to becoming Hollywood’s top star by first creating a vision of what he wanted, and then living into that picture. He succeeded by knowing what he wanted to achieve and always keeping that end in mind.

In “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” Covey mentions Dr. Charles Garfield, who has done extensive research on peak performers.  Dr. Garfield’s research shows that almost all peak performers are visualizers.  Whether they’re athletes about to step out onto the field, or businessmen (or women) about to walk into an important boardroom meeting, they see it, feel it, and experience it before it actually happens.  That is, they begin with the end in mind.

You can use visualization for any of the following:

• Visualize yourself achieving your long-term goals (New York Times best selling author; running a marathon; your 50 year wedding anniversary filled with as much love for your spouse as you felt on your wedding day; and so on) .
• Visualize yourself having a good day in which you accomplish all of your most important tasks for the day, share some quality time with your family, and take some time to engage in a hobby or just relax.
• Visualize yourself doing well in your presentation and receiving lots of applause.
• Visualize yourself making the sale.
• Visualize yourself reaching an amicable settlement with the neighbor who’s threatening to sue you because your dog keeps digging up her yard.

Create a Photo Album of What You Want to Accomplish

In order to get both your left and your right brain hemispheres involved in creating a picture of what you want your life to look like, I recommend that you find visual images of what you want to accomplish. I came across this blog post which suggests that instead of gluing your images onto a poster board, as many people do, that you get a photo album (the ones with the full page that is sticky on one side and has a clear plastic cover that goes over it) and devote a section to each area of your life.

So, for example, you could have the following segments:

• Family;
• Finances;
• Contributions;
• Travel; and so on.

Include words and phrases—positive affirmations–in your album. Covey explains that a good affirmation has five ingredients:

• It’s personal;
• It’s positive;
• It’s present tense;
• It’s visual;
• It’s emotional.

Covey uses the following example: “It’s deeply satisfying (emotional) that I (personal) respond (present tense) with wisdom, love, firmness, and self-control (positive) when my children misbehave.” He adds that this is something he can visualize; he can visualize his children misbehaving and he can visualize himself responding with love, firmness, and self-control.

Once you’ve decided on the sections for your photo album and you’ve added some images that you like and some affirmations that resonate with you, start looking through it each day and use it to help you visualize your desired outcomes. Continue adding to your photo album as you find more interesting images and affirmations.

Conclusion

A lot of people don’t understand why their life isn’t going the way they want it to, without stopping to realize that they haven’t decided what they want out of life.  Decide what you want, set goals, put together a vision board or a vision photo album filled with images of your ideal life if that sounds helpful to you, and visualize yourself achieving your goals (see it, hear it, feel it).

Then, when the time actually comes for there to be a funeral in which you’re the guest of honor, it will be a funeral you can be proud of.

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(Photo of “my first vision board” is courtesy of SharonaGott).

Related Posts:

• Decide What You Want
• Six Steps to Creating the Life You Really Want
• A Guide for Creating New Habits
• The Sedona Method – Let Go of Negative Emotions and Limiting Beliefs

I Recommend:

My ebook “How to Be More Creative – A Handbook for Alchemists” explains that creativity is not the sole domain of the arts but is important in any field. Whatever you do, creativity helps you do it better. Discover practical advice on how to be more creative in every life endeavor by reading my ebook.

The Sedona Method is a simple, powerful, easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to let go of any negative, unwanted or painful feelings you may be experiencing at any particular moment. It consists of a series of questions you ask yourself that lead your awareness to focus on what you’re feeling in the moment and gently guide you toward letting it go. Read my review of the Sedona Method here.