Habit 2- Begin with the End in Mind

In order to become an effective person, we have to take note of what areas we want to be effective in. Even though Covey provided us with a general definition of effectivity, it can differ from person to person. If someone is financially driven, they’re going to have a very different route to effectiveness than someone who is driven by family relationships. That’s why Covey takes us through a couple steps that aim to help the readers hone our efforts to what truly matters to us.

He begins the chapter by asking the reader to envision their own funeral. Pretty heavy stuff to begin a chapter with! He asks the reader to envision who would be there and what they would say, and then to reflect upon that. As daunting of a task as it was to do so, it really helped me put into perspective what I want out of life. Knowing the end goal, I was able to start reflecting upon my current state and what I need to change in order to get to where I wanted to be.

Now that you’ve envisioned the distant future, Covey focuses on the now. How do we end up achieving the goals that we set out so far in advance? We start building little by little. To begin working on the now, Covey suggests making a personal mission statement. Every organization has a mission statement to keep their ultimate goals in mind through their daily work; why shouldn’t the same concept apply on an individual level?

Putting ideas into words is only the first step to establishing a habit. From there, the words have to be put into action. This can be challenging to do, especially when the words you’ve created are your ultimate end goals and, more than likely, are incredibly broad. To begin acting upon your mission statement, Covey returns to the Circle of Influence that was introduced in Habit 1. For those who need a brief refresher, the Circle of Influence is the area of life that you are concerned about and have control in. Covey once again tells readers to work within their Circle of Influence and, in doing so, it will expand.

This chapter does an incredible job in forcing the reader to evaluate the present and thinking long-term. The whole concept behind this habit is to “measure twice, cut once” by making the reader think, in depth, about where they want to be towards the end of their life. When all the goals and the plans have been laid out, then you can begin to work toward them. Getting  distracted and working arduously down the wrong path will only prove to be a waste of time and energy, so Covey utilizes this chapter to ensure his readers are focused on their ultimate goals.

References

Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Simon & Schuster, 2020.

Lucy M.

Undergraduate Intern 2023

If you could use additional help dealing with stress or anxiety and live in Illinois, please contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates at 708-633-8000 to schedule an appointment with a counselor.  In person and telehealth appointments are offered.