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Episode 26 – Start with Your End Game

Life’s adventures are very much like a game. Whether you’re listening to this podcast for action steps for your life business or running an organization, it is all about the strategies you put in place. In many sports you hear about playbooks, where there are pages of strategies or blueprints that can be implemented to reach their end goal of the win. The same can be applied to whatever role you’re playing.

In Stephen R. Covey book, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, Habit #2: “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 so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” In order to head to the destination, you must have an idea of where you’re going otherwise everything else is haphazardly done. You may be wondering around bumping into walls and obstacles because you are unsure of where you’re heading.

Ask Yourself the Following Questions:

What is it you want to achieve? What is your end game?

What is the vision that you have for yourself?

When you start with your end in mind, you are tapping into your imagination.

You can see it, feel it, and almost taste it.

Everything is first created in your mind.

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Jason W Gordon from MOBLpixl (www.moblpixl.com) put together my promo video on my website at www.debrakasowski.com. He videotaped a wide variety of video segments andI shared some concepts of what I thought would be possible but nowhere in my imagination did I see that incredible work that he had put together. It was better than I expected. He is very passionate about spreading powerful messages and he loves what he does. He already had the concept in his mind of how he was going to put together the video based solely on our conversation.

Another story…

My family and I spearhead the Spirit of Christmas Shoebox Campaign and Pancake Breakfast with a large number of volunteer elves feeding many children and providing many gifts. When we first got started, it was a bucket list idea. It was something that I wanted to do, little did I realize that it was in a turn into so much more. The first year we supplied 120 shoeboxes to one school. We enjoyed it so much that I called the school back the following year but this time they had a special request. Deb, can you feed us? I had never done anything of that magnitude before. All I could visualize in front of me was a child looking up at me with a plate that said feed me on it. So I said I’m not sure how I’m going to do this but, “Yes!” I will figure it out will make it happen. I got off the phone and I e-mailed all of our family and friends to see if there was a way to make this happen. I knew there had to be a way. The end that I had in mind was that every single child was having a gift and every single child has food on a plate in front of them. I’m happy to say that we ended up serving two schools one of turkey dinner for lunch and another a pancake breakfast. To top it all off every child received a gift. Since that time there’s been no turning back. We’ve had beautiful community support and generous volunteers. And many children with full tummies and gifts in their hands.

You can accomplish so much when you actually just learn to say yes to something that challenges you knowing that you will figure out a way. I find that too many people get stuck on ‘the how” – it will come. It all starts with the decision to make it possible. You need the give yourself permission to dream of possibilities. Once you are clear the how can be determined, you will be driven or motivated by your “why”. When you know “why” you do something, you can accomplish so much. This is where your actions and intention align with your vision.

You cannot enroll others into your dream, if you do not know where you’re heading. You need to create a vision for yourself. For people who get stuck on the how, I think it’s very valuable to use a method called “backward planning” or “reverse engineering” you might hear it called. When you start with the end in mind, you can plan backward. What are the steps that you need to take in order to get to where you’re ready to know you need to go? I find it very beneficial to use questions to help you understand what you need to do- “the how”. For example, “What must I do to become a great speaker? Write down all the things you believe you need to do then break it down into smaller pieces and ask more follow-up questions. You’ll need a speaker sheet, a signature talk, and collections of stories to be shared to start out. What message do you want your audience to walk away with her share with others? What solution do you provide? What is required to make this happen?

You must see it in your mind before you could take steps to start making it happen. When you see it in your mind you can then start setting goals and timelines in which you can focus all of your actions. Whatever you want to achieve, remember it’s your game. There is more than one strategy to get to where you want to go. Tap into your strengths and look for the opportunities. Yes there may be obstacles almost guaranteed! When you have a vision and a blueprint or plan laid out you will find a way to either move through obstacles around them to get to your destination. Don’t forget to enjoy the journey in the process because it’s all about who you become along the way.

I would love to hear about how you begin with the end in mind.  E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Give us a 5-star rating! Sign up for our Newsletter www.debrakasowski.com

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 9:17 min

Keywords:  begin with the end in mind, habit 2, start with the end game, strategy, blueprint, strategic planning, backward planning, reverse engineering, goal setting, goals, have a vision, imagination, visualization, achievement, sense of direction