Last week’s editorial was the second in a series reviewing Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. To quickly summarize, Habit Two, “Beginning with the End in Mind,” teaches us that it is important to -------.
Basically, Habit One shows us that we create our own lives.
When introducing Habit Three, “First,” Covey explains that all things are created twice: first, through leadership (doing the right things); second, through management (doing things right). Habit Two – beginning with the end in mind -- is the first creation, leadership. When you build a house, for example, you initially create it in every detail by reducing it to a blueprint. All details about your new house are thought through --every door, every wall, every electrical outlet -- before the earth is even touched. Once this blueprint is complete, it is used as the reference for the house’s construction. The contractor consults this blueprint to decide what needs to be worked on next, what direction to take. In other words, when this contractor reviews the blueprint each day, he is beginning with the end in mind.
A mission statement is an effective way to create a blueprint for your life. Many companies and organizations have mission statements so that they always know the direction the company is to move toward. Covey encourages individuals to create mission statements as well. Putting your core beliefs in writing and then using your written statement as a reference for all decisions is a powerful thing to do. It is a way to keep yourself focused on those things that are truly important to you.
These core-belief statements do not have to be boring or serious though. Have you noticed any senior ladies wearing red hats with purple feathers? These ladies are members of a growing nationwide group called “the Red Hat Society.” At the top its official website, the Red Hat Society explains that it believes there is fun after turning fifty. “We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life and, since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together.” What a wonderful mission statement!
Being proactive (Habit One) and having a core set of beliefs as a reference (Habit Two) is especially important as you grow into elderhood. How are you going to handle getting older? Will you respond to it positively as the Red Hat Society has? Just like these red-hat-wearing ladies, Maggie Kuhn, an activist and social worker, considers old age to be a good thing. Her wrinkles are “badges of distinction – I worked hard for them!” she says. Kuhn believes that “old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing each week.” Whether she realizes it or not, Kuhn has embraced Habit One and Habit Two.
Next week, Habit Three, “First Things First.”
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