What Stephen Covey Meant When He Said ‘Begin with The End in Mind’
Stephen Covey’s classic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People tells readers to “begin with the end in mind” in habit #2. As this book is one of the most popular books in history, you’ve probably heard this advice multiple times over the years.
I would say the idea to begin with the end in mind is even sort of a cliché at this point. So much so that most people who hear this advice take it with a grain of salt. This is unfortunate as the idea of beginning with the end in mind is solid advice to say the least. I would even go as far to say it’s sage like advice.
Correspondingly, I would also tell you that it’s a mistake to write off the idea of beginning with the end in mind as cliché. Instead, when you hear this advice take heed and be mindful about what you do next.
As Covey himself states:
‘Begin with the end in mind’ is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.
Beginning with The End in Mind is about Knowing Your Purpose
In other words, you must think about your purpose before you act. What specifically do you want to achieve? Take no chances by acting on whims and emotions. Don’t even act on something because of a singular goal.
Remember, in the end your purpose is not the same thing as your goal. A purpose is bigger than you, your passions, and any one of your goals. Purpose is the combination of passion and the desire to achieve multiple goals with an impact bigger than self. Moreover, unlike a goal you can only have one purpose at a time.
Simply stated, beginning with the end in mind is about self-motivation. If your purpose at the end does not provide you with the self-motivation to begin and keep going, don’t begin until it does. In the words of Stephen Covey:
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.
To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.