The End in Mind
The first step is to understand what is the end I want to have achieved before my life fades away – The moment I am able to define clearly, is the moment I understands it well.
The book recommends that I start forming my own eulogy by shaping what my loved ones will say or have to say about me when I die. My eulogy would be reflected by them through my everyday’s action, impact and influence on them.
After I have decided what they would be saying about me, I will question myself occasionally: “Does my action today leads to what I would want them to say about me? If it does, great. If it doesn’t, I’d better work on it.”
Goals Reverse Engineering
The concept is to break down a goal into smaller goals or milestones – understanding what needs to happened before the goal can be achieved. This analyzing cycle is repeated until I get to the beginning – where I am at now.
Once I have all the smaller goals, then I will strategize on how to achieve these smaller goals. When I achieved these smaller goals, my bigger goal becomes a natural progression.
A simple example would be if I want to earn $1.2m each year, I’ll have to earn $300k per quarter. In order to earn $300k per quarter, I need to earn $100k per month. The process can be broken down further into weeks, days, working hours. Then to come out with the strategies to achieve the mini goals.
Create a Personal Mission Statement
A proper personal mission statement states my purpose and provides a framework or guidelines for my actions based on my core values. Great examples can be found here: MissionStatements.com
Remember if the mission statement doesn’t carry a personal meaning, it will be a piece of useless paper on the wall.
The Center of Life
Whatever I place the highest value at the center of my circle of influence, becomes the source of my:
- Security: My Basic Needs (Oxygen, Water, Food, Shelter and Feelings – Emotional Strength such as Self Esteem, Confidence, etc)
- Guidance: Direction and Decision Making Capability – How I decide?
- Wisdom: Perspective on life, understanding of the world and how I interpret my life (Giving meaning to my experiences)
- Power: The ability to take action
Whatever is at the center of my life will have great impact on me, shaping my attitudes and behaviors. The book discuss the following value centered characteristics:
- Spouse
- Family
- Money
- Work
- Possession
- Pleasure
- Friend
- Enemy
- Church
- Self
“What I focus on, I give power to it. But remember that it is I who choose what to focus on!”– Max
If the center that I have now does not empower me as an a proactive person, I must change to one that will. I should be the one in control, influencing at the center of my life.
- If I don’t take care of myself, how can I take care of others?
- If I don’t have my Private Victory, how will I have a Public Victory?
Visualization and Affirmation
In this part, the book discuss about Personal Leadership – Leading myself to maintain on my path towards my vision.
Visualization – A technique to imagine specific positive mental images to help achieve a goal. Everything is created twice, first in the mind, then manifest into reality.
The Must Have ingredients to create a good affirmation with the power of visualization
- Personal
- Positive
- Present Tense
- Visual
- Emotional
Other Pointers I learned from this chapter
Leading my life to where I want by having the end in mind to stay focused at every moment
Recommended Reading
- To Recommend 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People
- Previous Chapter on Habit1 Be Proactive
- To Habit3 – First Things First
Remember to share what you learned from the book here.
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