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Essay / Beginning with the End in Mind - 1444
Before the author, Stephen Covey, explains what it means to “begin with the end in mind,” he urges his reader to visualize their own ending. In doing so, the reader self-evaluates his or her own life thus far. The end of all judgment is death. In death, your life will be paraphrased and condensed into a manageable story: will this story reflect the person you expected? To ensure that when you die you will have accomplished your goals while maintaining and fostering positive relationships, you must live with the end each day. in mind. It means “starting today with the picture, picture, or paradigm of the end of your life as the frame of reference or criterion by which everything else is examined.” Every part of your life…can be examined in the context of the whole, of what really matters most to you” (Covey 98). Starting with the goal in mind means identifying your first concerns or priorities and visualizing them as your destination so that every action you take brings you closer to accomplishing what is most important to you. What is important to us and what we consider to be characteristics. of a successful life, both must be our first goal in any type of success. We may be successfully accomplishing our task, but is this task bringing us closer to our end goal? “We can be very busy, we can be very efficient, but we will also only be truly effective when we begin with the goal in mind” (Covey 98). It's the difference between doing something well and doing the right thing well. Management is about being efficient, to ensure that you complete the given task correctly. Leadership is about being effective, to ensure that you accomplish the task you want to accomplish. Leadership and management are the two middle centers of a paper company in a big city like New York or Boston. I will have my own apartment and I will be financially independent, emotionally secure, and personally fulfilled in my work. I'll stroll the city streets in a crisp suit and meet my friends for lunch, where we'll laugh and drink cappuccinos. To achieve this in life, I must use my principles as guidelines for my actions, and proactivity as motivation for my cause. I must transcend my competitors through my unique attributes, abilities, and accomplishments. I have to balance my work and my relationships to make sure both get their due attention. I must use my personal mission statement, along with my self-image and goals, as the primary forces that drive every decision I make. I must ensure that after my final silence, the legacy left behind reflects my personal and professional success..