Begin With the End In Mind - Tips to Make Your Life More Meaningful

What would you change if you knew you would be dead in 1 day? Would you spend more time at work, pouring over budget figures, and trying to figure out how you were going to make this quarter's numbers? Would you read just 1 more e-mail from a complaining co-worker? Would you check your voicemail one last time? What would your obituary say about your life?

If you're like me, I'd bet you wouldn't do anything work-related. In fact, I would bet you would see if there was any way to extend that 1 day into 6 months or more, because there is SO much you have yet to accomplish. You would vow to make a difference in your family, with your friends, in your community, maybe even in the world. Maybe you'd see if you could sky dive, climb Pike's Peak, or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.

If you knew when the end was, I'd guess you would do all those things you've been meaning to do, but that you just never had the time to do.

Guess what? You won't know when the end is, so you better start living like you were dying today! Dr. Steven Covey, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People talks about how we each must begin with the end in mind. This is as valuable advice for your life, just as it is valuable for goal setting, projects, or anything else you do in your work.

Take the time to write your personal mission statement. Franklin Covey has a great free tool to help you do this, located at http://www.franklincovey.com/missionbuilder/

I strongly encourage you to take 30-40 minutes to build your personal mission statement, your team mission statement, and share this with others that you feel may benefit from this life clarity.

Now that you have this clarity what will you do to make your life better on a daily basis? My goal is to pack the rest of the book full of little things you can do to take control of your life and Make It Great!I hope you are able to glean one or two nuggets that you can immediately put to work in your family, your life, your world, and that after finishing this book, you are ready to Make it Great! Think about the one thing you can you do to make your life better right now?

Then do it right now and do whatever it takes to Make It Great!

Phil Gerbyshak leads a team of people as manager of an IT Help Desk in Milwaukee, WI, and finds that sharing his knowledge is a crucial component for success as a leader and as a person. Phil's personal philosophy is paraphrased from Tim Sanders' fantastic book Love is the Killer App: "Share your knowledge, your network, and your love. The rest will follow."

Feel free to contact Phil at http://makeitgreat.org or call 414.640.7445 anytime.

---

Overcoming Addiction

Dear Candace,I am having trouble letting go of an over... Read More

My Favorite Movies Journal

The movies--what a wonderful way to spend an afternoon! I... Read More

A Brick Wall

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 18,... Read More

Nine Things More Important than Capital

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time... Read More

Martial Arts CHARACTER And the Universal Law of Interdependence - The Keys to Life Mastery, Key #2

In the philosophical teachings which form the foundation for the... Read More

Extreme Self Care

EXTREME is not a term usually connected to self-care. Self-care... Read More

Starting A New Disaster Relief Program

I believe that it is an amazing time in our... Read More

Fulfilling Your Dreams: The Magic Of Starting

Fulfilling your dreams will remain a mirage if you simply... Read More

Something About Nothing

Buddhists study nothing because they have found that you must... Read More

Flight Delay

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 6,... Read More

Everyone Has Been Hurt ....Part 6

Continued....I have since grown a lot. I have grown through... Read More

The Information Age

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 1,... Read More

Let Change Be Your Friend, Mentor, and Inspiration

People have a tendency of anticipating pending change on the... Read More

The Art of Giving

In the pursuit of the life we dream of, this... Read More

Work In Progress: 10 Benefits of Not Knowing It All

1. You can relax and enjoy your life more if... Read More

Inspiring Values of Unforgettable Teachers

All of us recall special teachers - people who not... Read More

The Secret Of Lasting Personal Change

Why do so many of us end up frustrated when... Read More

Living Profoundly

When you realize that you really want to have an... Read More

FEAR Don?t Let it Control You!

Fear. What is it? Can you touch it? Can you... Read More

Anamchara - Making Sense of Life

Many successful persons advise you start your day with a... Read More

When Was the Last Time?

When was the last time you smiled at a stranger?When... Read More

Silence Inside

Silence means no voice input of any sort. What happens... Read More

Misery Can Eat You Alive

This is a true story about a woman I worked... Read More

Inspirations: Even More Things Ive Noticed Along the Way So Far

Some people live in and talk about the past so... Read More

Wanna Trade Places?

Even immediately after my car accident, every single person who... Read More

A Bit Of Turbulence

Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 1,... Read More

Your James Bond Fantasies Become Real

The problem with this is that fantasies usually don't come... Read More

The 5 Fortunes Within

What could be nearer to us than our own selves.... Read More

The Author Within You!

I always had an active imagination when I was young.... Read More

Inside Secrets On How To Stay Afloat During Tough Times

Do you find yourself asking questions when tough times come... Read More

Thoughts Are Like Seeds - Are You Planting Flowers or Weeds?

"You can't harvest what you don't sow. So plant your... Read More

5 Simple Tips For A Better Life

How can we enjoy a better lifestyle?'Easy' I hear you... Read More

What Company Does Your Business Keep?

A man is known by the company he keeps. We... Read More