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THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE: HABIT 2

6 years ago
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Are you--right now--who you want to be, what you dreamed you would be, doing what you always wanted to do? Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty--successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If keep climbing the wrong ladder, every step you take might be getting you to the wrong place faster.

This is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It's about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself.

Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.

One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.

So, what is your Personal Mission Statement?