Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

The hardest thing in life is to know what bridge to cross and what bridge to burn

-         David Russell

Beginning with no end in mind is like starting a 1,000 piece puzzle with no picture on what it is supposed to look like in the end. Your life is like a jigsaw puzzle; do you know where u want to end up when it is all over? Or are you just winging it? 

You begin with the end in mind all the time; draw a blue print before you build a house, read a recipe before you bake a cake. It’s the same concept with life. 

One reason to create a vision is that if you don’t, someone else will do it for you. Do you want your friend to tell you what to do? You may have fine parents but do you want them to create the blue print for your life? And if you are not much of a ‘planner’ and like to ‘go with the flow’ you will usually end up where the flow is going, which is usually not be your idea of an end. “The road to anywhere is really a life to nowhere.”

Mission statement is like the blue print of your life. Making your own mission statement will help you focus on where you want to be when you are older. Writing a mission statement can open your eyes to what’s really important to you and help you make decisions. 

A personal mission statement is like a tree with deep roots. It is stable and isn’t going anywhere, but it is also alive and continually growing.  With deep roots, you can survive all the storms of life. 

An important part of developing a personal mission statement is discovering what you are good at. Everyone has a talent. Some people have talents like being a good singer, being a good listener, drawing, or just being nice.