Life Goals: Set Goals With The End In Mind
“To begin with the end in mind is to begin with the image of the end of your life as the frame of reference by which everything else is measured.”
~Stephen Covey
Without making things too complicated, who would the elderly you – at the end of a long, happy, and heroic life – be. Who this elderly person will be is going to be a sum of who you have consistently been on each day of your life.
Some questions to wonder about as you decide who you want to be at the end of your life.
- When you look back at your life, will you be proud of the person that you have become?
- Will you be proud of the decisions that you have made that have made you into this person?
- Will you be happy with the wisdom you have gathered, the wealth you have amassed, and the loved ones that are by your side?
Crafting a Mission Statement to Live Consistently With Our Vision
In order to be a specific type of person at the end of our life, we need to effectively create, and recreate, our lives so that our path will lead us to our goal. We won’t be perfectly aligned with our path 100% of the time, in fact, I believe that we’ll have to constantly refocus ourselves to make sure we’re on the path that we have defined for ourselves.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage about an airplane that is heading from New York to Los Angeles. Most of the trip, the plane isn’t pointing exactly at Los Angeles, as wind, turbulence, and sometimes geese force the plane to go several degrees off course. The pilot, or autopilot system, has to constantly readjust the direction of the plain in order to get back on track.
In our lives, we also have to consistently readjust our course, so that we can safely arrive at being who we want to be – both right now, and in the future. In order to live a life without regrets, we must be the type of person that upholds our own highest principles for ourselves, and never deviates from them. In order to do this, we must first define what these ‘highest principles’ are for us.
Our principles are what keep us on the path. The path is the way that we are being. The way that we are being is defined within our mission statement. Our mission statement is our way to our path, which is our way to our goals. Our mission statement is who we are committed to being, regardless of the circumstances.
Set your life goals and mission statement together, so that one compliments the other, and they don’t contradict each other. Set your life goals according to what you want, not what others may want for you.
My Personal Mission Statement
- I am an outstanding human being in every respect
- I am honest, kind, loving, loyal and true – to my family, friends and everyone who knows me
- I am a positive, optimistic, confident, warm, friendly person who is admired and respected by everyone
- I am an excellent parent (in the future), a fine employer and I do my work in an upstanding fashion every time
- I uplift, encourage and inspire everyone I meet – everywhere I go
- The possibility that I have created for myself and my life is the possibility of being someone who operates with the greatest good of all in mind, and the possibility of living in the present.
I have full confidence that if I am the person that I describe in this mission statement, every day of my life and in every decision that I make, that I will be very proud of the way my life has gone when I’m looking back at the end of my life.
How would you like to see yourself at the end of your life? What would you like for people to say about you at your funeral?
This post is part of a series on Life Goals. Subscribe to the site, so you don’t miss a thing, and share your experiences with goals in the comments below.
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Posted by Alex Shalman in Goal Setting | March 19, 2009 | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumble | Print | 14 comments
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- Sunday Browsing: Sprinting Towards Your Life Goals | The Success Professor - March 29th, 2009
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“Bestselling author and Academy Award winning screenwriter.” Might as well dream big, right? ; )
The 2nd habit!!! This is so key!~
Alex,
This is a really fantastic article that inspired me to write up my own mission statement. You are completely right. We must define what we desire. I think the broadness of my desires has fostered a sense of uncertainty within me. Although I can appreciate the endless possibilities, I feel that it is time to narrow down what I want from myself and from my life. You’re the best!
Marina
Alex,
Thanks for this article. It is vital to connect to your mission, and beginning with the end in mind is what allows you to develop clarity around that mission.
I really appreciate you sharing your own personal mission. It’s great to have your work as an example for others.
Danny
@Shanel Yang Definitely dream big. Don’t stop there either
@Marina – it’s great that you say this, because today I was having a discussion with Yuri after posting this article, who is also in the same position as you of having ALOT of talents and interests, and I came to the same conclusion as you – you have to focus on one action at a time to get anywhere. Otherwise you’re just spinning your mental wheels.
@Danny – Glad to be of service. You know where to find me, same bat-time, same bat-channel
This is such a great example of a Quandrant II activity that is actually urgent! In other words, people often go along in life doing all the ‘urgent’ things for that day. But this is the most important thing you can do! Otherwise, you may just be living a life of quiet desperation. I personally try to review my mission statement and goals each and every day, along with my vision board. I’m glad to have a target I’m aiming toward, and a compass to guide my life journey!
@Steve Welcome to the site. It’s awesome to see that you review daily. That’s such an important principle, and it helps you put all your actions, plans, frustrations, stresses, and joys into perspective with the big picture that you have for yourself. It makes insignificant things not be the center of your focus. Right?
I like #5 … I forget about that sometimes and it is something I know would help in the overall grand scheme.
You are right!
It is so important for people to realize they aren’t victims of their reality, they are actually creators of their reality and until we change what we are focusing on (whether we realize we are focusing on it or not) our lives and businesses and relationships won’t change for the better.
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