Stephen Covey put it well when he said:
"Begin with the end in mind."
He introduces this mindset with an exercise in visualization. It goes like this:
"In your mind's eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there. As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years from today. . . .
As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers. The first is from your family. . . . The second speaker is one of your friends. . . . The third speaker is from your work or profession. And the fourth is from your church. . . . Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of working associate? What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?"
Covey's point is that if you start at the end and work back from there, you will see things in an entirely different light. As he says, "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."
"Begin with the end in mind."
He introduces this mindset with an exercise in visualization. It goes like this:
"In your mind's eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there. As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years from today. . . .
As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers. The first is from your family. . . . The second speaker is one of your friends. . . . The third speaker is from your work or profession. And the fourth is from your church. . . . Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of working associate? What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?"
Covey's point is that if you start at the end and work back from there, you will see things in an entirely different light. As he says, "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."
