Begin with the end in mind

I read this AMAZING book called "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. I cannot recommend this book enough (truly life-changing). Anyways, the way he starts the book is suggesting that you think with the end in mind. He suggests doing an activity that consists of you being somewhere alone and uninterrupted where you can clear your thoughts. In this activity he wants you to think of yourself going to a funeral of a loved one and picture yourself getting out of the car in the parking lot, the music, the people, the soft music then when you step up to the casket you realize you are at your own funeral. All of these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation of your life. As you wait for the services to begin, you look at the program and see that there are 4 speakers. The first speaker is someone from your family (children, brothers, sisters, etc.), the second is one of your friends, the third is someone from work, and the fourth is from your church or some community organization where you've been involved in service. Now think really deep about what you would like each of these speakers to say about you and your life. What kind of wife, sister, mother, friend would you like those words to reflect? What character would you like them to have seen in you? What achievements would you want them to remember? What difference would you like to have made in their lives?

"Each part of your life - today's behavior, tomorrow's behavior, next week's behavior, next month's behavior - can be examined in the context of the whole, of what really matters most to you. By keeping that end clearly in mind, you can make certain that whatever you do on any particular day does not violate the criteria you have defined as supremely important, and that each day of your life contributes in a meaningful way to the vision you have of your life as a whole."

By keeping the end in mind of not only yourself but with your goals will help give you a clear understanding of your destination! It helps us understand where we are going so we know the right steps to get in that direction.

XO

Hilary