Begin With The End

(by Lorie Codispoti)

If we put all the things we start in one of the pan holders of an imaginary scale, and then compared them to the pan on the other side - the side that holds all the things we finish - would the scale be balanced?

I can’t speak for you, but my scale is rarely symmetrical these days. Too many times my starts rest comfortably on the floor while my finishes dangle in midair.

Anyone else feel this way?

In Steven Covey’s book, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, the second habit is to “begin with the end in mind.” He explains it this way: “To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”

Wait! I did that once.

When we started homeschooling in 1984, there wasn’t much out there by way of teacher resources or curriculum. My son was starting kindergarten and I had no idea what a scope and sequence was, much less what kindergartners were supposed to learn. So, I did what seemed reasonable - after crying out to God for HELP! I asked myself what I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year, and determined that I wanted him to know how to read, to add & subtract, and to tell time. Those skills doable for me to teach and my son to learn. And, guess what? It was highly effective. I spent the next 15 years of homeschooling developing and following this habit (without even knowing about Covey’s book), until both my children graduated.

So, what tipped the scale, taking me from a focused, organized planner to someone who has a hard time focusing on one thing long enough to complete it? Sometimes I feel like I’ve morphed into a squirrel who woke up one morning and realized there was more than one oak tree in the forrest.

It’s hard to say, as I think there are several contributing factors, but my finishes have had a hard time keeping up with my starts. I've always had an active imagination, but something has fed my curiosity with steroid laced acorns and I find myself wanting to capture every one that falls and rolls across the ground. Some call this chasing rabbit trails, but that’s only because they’ve never watched a squirrel dart around like it doesn't know where it's going, or how to get there if it did.

The biggest problem is that the proverbal acorns never stop falling so I’m never finished collecting them. Then there’s the pressure of trying to remember where you buried the boatload you did manage to collect as you scurried about. But that’s a whole other forrest to traverse so I’ll save that ground for another article.

The solution seems to be in going back to what worked before. If I start by loading the “finish” side of my scale first, then I’ll take the time necessary to think through and formulate a doable plan for the “start” side of the scale, without being overwhelmed by all the options and possibilities.

Perhaps that will be of some help to you other squirrels out there. Just don’t let anyone try to convince you that acorns are not the only nut squirrels like to eat. You certainly won’t hear that from me.