Begin the Begin, Over and Over

Kids, “Begin with the end in mind.” This is the second habit from Stephen Covey’s classic book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Ol’ “Stevie C” gives advice that has shaped my business and much of what I do in life. Although, if I’m honest, I’m better at this professionally than I am personally.

In anything you do, and I do mean anything, you should know what the end goal is. If you know where you’re going, life and your tasks become much easier. Professionally, if I know the goal of a case in litigation, I can pursue it far more effectively for my client. Sometimes that goal is a dollar figure; sometimes it isn’t.

Conversely, if I wander haphazardly through my day without an end goal, I become a slave to the whim of every moment. Each moment places considerable demands on my time and attention. It’s much easier to put the phone down and focus when you have a specific goal to achieve that day, and let me tell you, it’s far more satisfying. Task lists are immensely helpful for this. Write out a set of tasks aimed at a clear goal and start crossing them off. Progress feels good.

This idea might grate against some of the more whimsical and free-spirited folks (as I know some of my kids are). “Not all who wander are lost,” you might protest. More practical people might respond, “Tolkien was silly, you need a map, otherwise you really will be lost! Plus, Tolkien was writing about Aragorn in a poem, not your Instagram post about an all-inclusive vacation, so the quote probably doesn’t apply anyway.”

…I digress.

But I think this principle applies even to leisure. Wandering and wondering. Imagine you’re walking through a forest. You hear birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees. Now ask yourself: what is your goal for this walk? Is it to connect with nature? With God? That goal will change how you observe what’s around you. If your goal is exercise, your experience will change. If your goal is to get out of the forest as quickly as possible, your behavior will change again. Intentionally choosing a goal, even if that goal is simply to relax, shapes how you approach even a leisurely stroll through the woods.

Goals should also be divided into time periods. I like to start with broad life goals and work backward until I’m filling my daily task list. What do I want my life to look like? This can be distilled into a personal mission statement. What should my five-year goals look like? Those should inform your yearly goals. What are my one-year goals, what must I do each month to achieve them? Each week? Each day? Each hour? Cal Newport, an author I love, suggests SCHEDULING EVERY MINUTE OF YOUR DAY. I don’t do this, but I am not a prolific author either.

This method requires planning and forethought. You will fail often. You may have to begin again, over and over. But having a goal, beginning with the end in mind, creates a life of purpose, success, and discipline.

This is a hard habit. But I promise it yields tremendous dividends if pursued intentionally. May your day be full of purpose and driven by the end in mind.

P.S. Now listen to the song by The National, “Not in Kansas,” which references the R.E.M. song “Begin the Begin.”

https://youtu.be/MqPSNfMacx4