I first encountered “begin with the end in mind” principle in Stephen Covey’s classic: “The 7 habits of highly effective people”, a must read book for anyone who is planning to lead and live a more productive and genuine life since the book depicts how certain people manage to deliver outstanding outcomes to allow themselves to live life on their terms.
Beginning with the end in mind is a sweet reminder to keep an eye on the prize or to have the bigger picture in mind. That is extremely useful as it can serve as a compass in turbulent times in our lives.
It can, nonetheless, feel overwhelming to face one’s own ambitions sometimes, it can even end up being discouraging when surrounded by the wrong people, if any.
In order to reassure myself whenever this powerless feeling comes my way: I remind myself that I need to “begin with the end in mind AND start with now in hand”.
What do I mean by “Start with now”? If “Beginning with the end in mind” is a sweet reminder to keep an eye on the prize; “Start with now in hand” simply invites us be grateful for what we already have and where we are starting from. Appreciating the present moment and being aware of the opportunities it unfolds are keys, since this is literally all we got. As investors like to say: “Yesterday was the best time to invest, the second best time is now.”
What about the “in hand” part? It is crucial to put the mind first, which is the reason why it appears upfront, better have a vision and direction. Secondly, yet as imperative if not more, is the actions one’s take. Those are what will eventually bring the results in this world dictated by cause and effect. One can appear to act mindlessly but that latter will always bring more results than the one who solely mind one’s business.
Begin with the end in mind and start with the now in hand.
