Start With The End In Mind

A while ago I decided that I wanted to buy a house in a warmer climate and the first thing I did was to create a vision of what I wanted. I created a mind-movie of how it would look and how I imagined it would feel to live there.

The question I asked myself was, “What do I love?” As I thought about the things I loved an image was created in my mind.

I thought how nice it would be to have a house near water with lots of green trees and a tropical looking patio and pool area. The house needed to be grand but comfortable with a wonderful staircase and a magnificent balcony loft overlooking the Great Room that had 24 ft. high ceilings. I had a picture in my mind with no idea of where this house was to be found but that did not matter. What was important was that I had a clearly defined image.

“Begin with the end in mind.” is one of the 7 habits in Steven Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.  Covey calls this the habit of personal Leadership– leading oneself towards what you consider your aims. What a wonderful Vision-Centered approach this is! An approach that is necessary to all goal setting and dream building endeavors.

However, most often I notice people will start working towards a goal that they have not yet clearly defined or one that is not motivating to them. Taking the time to capture the vision of your dream is vital to reaching it.

The important key to successful goal setting is to ‘see it as done’ before you begin and to have a ‘burning desire’ to have it or accomplishing it. Then jump in by taking action on your dreams.

During the years that I was building my dream career, I had a plaque hanging in my office that said, “Do what you can, where you are with what you have”. It did not say “WAIT UNTIL YOU KNOW EVERYTHING!” What it meant was

• Begin with the end in mind!
• Just do it!
• Start!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 2 Price Pritchett’s in his book YOU (You Squared), writes about The Quantum Leap Strategy.  He suggests…”Don’t get bogged down in getting prepared …. you don’t prepare for a Quantum Leap…you go for it!”

1. First you act then you frame out the details of your strategy.                                                                            a.Move on your dreams; take action.                                                                                                                                b.Start … and let what happens help you develop a coherent game plan. Mobility is the crucial element …    you have to be in the game.

2. Strategy formulas evolve from your discovery. Once you are underway you realize you knew more than you thought you knew.

3. First you need to be clear on your idea… You have to have a vision.                                                                  a.You need to ask yourself, “What step would I take if I could see it done?”                                                    b.Take the step you can take with what you have and make your move even before you think you are ready.

He explains the ‘Getting-Ready Syndrome’…. Getting ready as he says is:

• A “stalling tactic”
• An act of anxiety
• A con game many of us have been trained to use on ourselves.    If you wait to get it all perfect you will never get started.

Create a vision for an idea you have fallen in love with and ask, yourself, “What would be my next step?”       ….That is truly powerful!

Throughout my life this method has worked successfully  for me countless times. As a matter of fact, as I type this blog I am looking out on the most beautiful view of a gorgeous pool and patio on a lake ….at my new house in Florida. Yes, it is magnificent …to me, it is truly a ‘WOW’ house of my dreams come true and I love it!

I still get goose bumps that I am in the house of my dreams which for a time was only a series of pictures that I repeatedly looked at, talked about and showed everyone!

What are your dreams? How does it look in your Mind’s eye? What first step can you take?

Dream, imagine, mentally visualize and take your first steps to creating your dream.                                                   If you can dream it,you can do it!