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Second habit of highly effective people
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We introduced the book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, and talked about Habit One, "Be Proactive", in the last issue. Habit Two is "Begin with the End in Mind", which is about creating a clear vision of direction and destination to help attain your goal. The author encouraged us to explore and identify our mission in life. He pointed out that many people forget the mission that motivates them to work hard, and therefore become easily affected by the environment and setbacks. They then lose direction and cannot live the life they truly want.
The author suggested that a mission statement should be one that based upon correct principles (those relatively stable, fundamental truths in life, such as "It is more blessing to give than to take" or "Failure leads to success"), but not something that can change in time, for example, fame, achievement, benefits, work, pleasure and money. Having a principle-based mission in mind, one can remain objective and persistent in an ever-changing environment, and be guided by principles to live a truly desirable life.
In exploring your mission in life, you can use your imagination. For instance, imagine your life comes to the end and you are attending your own funeral. You can ask yourself: "Who do I want to see in my funeral?", "What do I want them to remember me for?", "How do I expect them to summarise my life?". When you visualise the scene, you can jot down, as detailed as possible, what you want and your feelings. This will help you find out the meaning and values of life.
We encourage you to practise Habit 2 by "beginning with the end in mind". Start living with the end of life in mind, and then you will know your personal direction and have a life you will find meaningful.