Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – The End

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Series – The End (Stephen Covey)

 

                  We are following Moore Public Schools’ lead in teaching the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People to our youth, families, and church. I hope you’ll maybe share this with any young people you know around dinner or family get-togethers.

                  The first habit was being proactive rather than reactive. That gives us more control of the outcome. The second habit is. “Begin with the End in Mind.” Let me explain this principle the best I know how.

                  Part of beginning with the end in mind is knowing WHAT you want. So, if you want a close family, you start with that idea. That is the end goal. We all need goals and a vision/mission. That informs HOW you will live your life. So, if you want a close family, you might do things like call the people you love more often, have more family meals, go to funerals for extended family, or even resurrect the idea of family reunions. A close family is the end, and family activities together are the means.

                  Covey, in his book, wrote, “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 and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” Makes a lot of sense!

This habit requires us to think about what we want our lives to look like. As people of faith, we also think about what God wants our lives to look like. This requires self-reflection, an examination of our values, and honesty with ourselves. Before a house is built, a person must envision what they want it to look like. The same is true of our lives (and church)! As an example, I know I want to be forgiving. That is my end goal. So, I then know I must think about who I have not forgiven or who I struggle to forgive. I also must be honest with myself about why forgiveness is hard with that person. Then, I have to be wise enough to act on those reflections. I will need to acknowledge hurts, but also let go of judging that person. I might have to show love to that person through acts of concern and compassion.

As a church, we might flounder and not know what to do if we don’t know our goals, mission, and vision. Those things, we believe, come from God’s desires for us. Finding them is a spiritual act of faith and discernment.

Keeping the end in mind will be key to knowing what to do as individuals and as a church. Even better, it gives us some say in what our lives and our church will be like. Covey also said, “You are the programmer. You can write off the old script. You can step back, look at the empty canvas, and-re-write your life.”