Habit Two – begin With The End In Mind

Since I am looking for ways to obtain increased health, wealth and happiness in the long life I am anticipating, I highly recommend Stephen R. Covey’s famous bestseller, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In my opinion, incorporating these simple seven habits into your daily life will lead to the life success that most people would like to achieve.

Habit one, which we reviewed in our last two columns, is being Proactive, not Reactive. In other words, don’t simply accept the circumstances that life creates for you. always be aware that you can use any circumstances to your advantage by planning a suitable and unique response. Proactivity!

Habit Two, “Begin With The End In Mind,” is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things. this habit clarifies how to implement the process described by the word “proactive” in Habit one.

To illustrate Habit Two, Covey says, “Take the construction of a home, for example. You create it in every detail before you ever hammer the first nail into place. You try to get a clear picture of what kind of house you want. if you want a family-centered home, you plan to put a family room where it would be a natural gathering place. You plan sliding doors and a patio for children to play outside. You work with ideas. You work with your mind until you get a clear image of what you want to build.”

“Then you reduce it to a blueprint and develop construction plans. all of this is done before the earth is touched. if not, then in the second creation, the physical creation, you will have to make expensive changes that may double the cost of your home…”

“Each day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day. You begin with the end in mind.”

“For another example, look at a business. if you want to have a successful enterprise, you clearly define what you’re trying to accomplish. You carefully think through the product or service you want to provide in terms of your market target, then you organize all the elements –financial, research and development, operations, marketing, personnel, physical facilities, and so on – to meet that objective.”

“The extent to which you begin with the end in mind often determines whether or not you are able to create a successful enterprise. Most business failures begin in the first creation, with problems such as under-capitalization, misunderstanding of the market, or lack of a business plan.”

“The same is true of parenting. if you want to raise responsible, self-disciplined children, you have to keep that end clearly in mind as you interact with your children on a daily basis. You can’t behave toward them in ways that undermine their self-discipline or self-esteem.”

“To varying degrees, people use this principle in many different areas of life. Before you go on a trip, you determine your destination and plan the best route. Before you plant a garden, you plan it out in your mind, possibly on paper. You create speeches on paper before you give them, you envision the landscaping in your yard before you landscape it, you design the clothes you make before you thread the needle…”

“Put another way, Habit one says, ‘You are the creator.’ Habit Two is the first creation.”

I recommend that you add this very useful book by Stephen R. Covey to your personal library so you can read it along with my necessarily brief comments in this column for the next few weeks. Since this book sold over 10 million copies since its publication in 1989, there are many inexpensive used copies available at bookstores and on the internet plus copies available for free loan at your local public library.

Meanwhile, those who can are encouraged to come to my Thursday night classes at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, 59700 29 Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, California, 7 to 9 pm. where we will continue this discussion of the Seven Habits. Please bring a three-ring notebook to class because we will also be learning a very special process to increase your motivation, the energy you draw on to accomplish your goals.

The bulletin board at the entrance will provide information about the class location in the Meditation Building. There is no fee for the class but a donation of $5 is requested if you can afford it.

I am considering holding a weekend workshop in the next few weeks where we will have enough time to learn a powerful technique for mastering the seven habits and totally changing our life for the better. if you are interested in a full Saturday-Sunday learning experience with me as your guide, phone me at 760-792-2032, my cell phone, or email .

Art Kunkin is the 83-year young journalist who founded the alternative weekly newspaper, The Los Angeles Free Press in 1964 and later became president of the Philosophical Research Society of Los Angeles. A free download of a magazine cover story interview with Art about his research into stopping aging is now available at immortality-is-possible.com. Art’s eBook, “Life Extension Alchemy: The Secret of Immortality Finally Revealed” is available at a reduced sale price of $9 at his website alchemyrevealed.com. he is presently writing a book about the history of The L.A. Free Press. Please email Art at with your questions, comments or Free Press memories. Copyright 2011 by Art Kunkin. all Rights Reserved.…..

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