This principle starts from the basis of having a plan. Beginning with the end on your mind. Knowing where you want to be. People always speak about goals, where they can lead you. Always working hard to get to one point.
As good as this might be for accomplishing difficult things, sometimes it can be blinding. This habit comes with some dangerous cliffs that must be avoided while moving across its rocky roads.
Tunnel Vision. Sometimes the beauty of the sun can be blinding.
You can get lost in one specific goal. While focusing so hard on studying for that one test you could miss multiple homework assignments. While focusing on becoming an NBA star you could miss out on the sincerity of family. While becoming the most successful and rich entrepreneur you could end up lonely. All accurate and real examples of this tunnel vision we get and beginning with the end in mind. There is a specific reason we say BEGIN with the end in mind. So through this process of success you don’t consistently think about the end. You want to keep some friendly reminders and keep refreshing yourself when needed, but don’t hold it so close because this is what causes tunnel vision.
Two Sides of Intense Goals
Say you make a goal that is easily completed, it might seem as if it wasn’t a big success and your satisfaction will remain, while shooting higher can give you some amazing satisfaction. There is two sides to this. I always have a mentality of “Shoot higher then ever before so that when you fall short you still have made some immense progress”. Or in other words shoot for 160% out of 100% so when you fall short you land somewhere from 90%-130%. Then your progress is still large. This is a positive thing and for many could make reaching goals much easier and more satisfying. But there is the other side to this metaphor. Some people shoot so high and when they don’t reach it, they feel bad, even though they know they made tons of progress, they seem to fall to an understanding that they didn’t do enough and could’ve done better. This inadequate mentality is dangerous and should largely be avoided. But it has happened to me and has made me into some sort of a perfectionist. Which in many cases can be good, but when I would fall short it would break my heart so I didn’t enjoy my journey. So be weary, be careful, and decide for you what strategy is best. Maybe more capable goals are better for you mentality.
Structured Goal Setting
Part of beginning with the end in mind consists of setting multiple goals. Okay say you set a goal to be in the NBA, well you’d have to establish multiple smaller progressive goals to reach that main goal. Something like—
NBA GOAL
-work on honing skills on NBA players have
-never miss a free throw
D1 COLLEGE
-individual skills mastery
-create a career/a place for me in the spotlight
-be unique yet skilled
HIGH SCHOOL STAR
-find my game
-know my skill set
-learn the floor
A structure like this could—in more detail—lead someone to a NBA career. A structure like this can work in any situation with any goal. Still aspire to shoot for the moon with every goal you make.
Go now and begin with the end in mind. Find yourself planning ahead in everything you do. Let life be more expected. Know that to be like our Heavenly Father who made us a plan, we must plan as well. Continue being like our eternal example.