The second habit in Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is ‘Begin With The End In Mind’.  This translates to first understanding what is important to you and then examining the entire journey to achieve the goal, rather than only focusing on the destination.  Reflecting on who I am, some of the scripts I use to direct my day-to-day behavior I adopted from my parents. To an extent, I absorbed those scripts as I formed my Parent Ego State, therefore, I have become what I am by default rather than by explicit design. To a greater or lesser extent, our long-term mission is shaped by accepting scripts by default or by trying to shape how we behave and act.

You can control the direction of your life if you can step back and take the time to reflect on what matters to you.  Reject being controlled by default and instead follow your mission.  Covey points out that it is possible to take control because we have an imagination and a conscience.

Imagination allows us to conceive of things that haven’t happened yet. Visualizing the future means that we are not governed by what we know and can remember, but rather what we can conceive of happening.  This is the first step towards achieving our goals and developing a mission statement that allows us to predict and create a future. 

Having a conscience ensures that as we seek to create the future we envision is governed by our values.  Values sit at the center of our circle of influence.  Covey suggests that everyone has a center comprised of our most basic paradigm. It is the filter through which we interpret the world around us.  This center is the anchor for our circle of influence, as we act on our values, our influence expands.

Developing a personal mission statement provides a map to imagine where we’re going and who we are. It is a reflection of our ability to imagine the future and to have goals.  Combining our imagination with conscience allows us to change our trajectory proactively based on the plan.  Beginning with the end in mind means you can be more intentional with your path to do and be more.

Support the Software Process and Measurement Cast by buying a copy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, and read along!

Previous Installments:

Week 1: Introduction and Be Proactive

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