Habit 2 - Begin With the End In Mind

In this chapter Covey introduces the second habit. More importantly, he discusses the relationship of the first three habits to each other, and puts the first habit in context.

The first habit can be though of as recognizing that ‘you are the programmer’. The second habit is then, in this metaphor, acting as the programmer: ‘writing the program’. The third habit can be thought of as ‘live the program’ – that is living by the plan one has made for oneself based upon the one’s values.

Habit 1 is the habit of personal vision. It is the recognition that you are not just an animal reacting to stimulus, but that you have an internal power to choose on the basis of values. But note that is assumes you have values.

This is where habit 2 comes in. It is the habit of personal leadership. Leadership deals with direction and values. It’s like the top line of an organization. The habit if directing oneself in the direction of ones highest values.

Habit 3 is the habit of personal management. Putting first things first. and focusing on what is important. If you know what your values are, and what you’re goals are, you’ve still got to do it. You’ve got to organize yourself in your day to day life around these plans. Personal management is about accomplishing ones vision efficiently.

There is another way of thinking about the 3 habits:

Habit 1 - recognizing and acting as ‘the creator’
Habit 2 – making the ‘first creation’
Habit 3 – making the ‘second creation’

Everything that a human being brings to reality has two creations. The first is a mental creation. If must be clearly in mind before it can be created in the outside world. The second creation is the actual bringing of what was created in the mental world into the physical world.

The second habit has to do with making plans, recognizing and creating ones values. A carpenters rule is to measure twice and cut ones. The second habit is about measuring. You’ve got to spend the effort to make sure the ‘first creation’, your plan, is what you really want and that you’ve thought everything through. Will your plan actually get you somewhere that is in alignment with your values? The third habit is about executing upon these plans in an efficient manner.

The first 3 habits are interrelated and inseparable. The form the basis for personal independence. Without all three one cannot have have a high degree of self-mastery.

The later 3 habits are people related habits. The are the habits of effectively working with people in an interdependent manner. But until you’ve got a high degree of self-mastery these habits are very difficult to put into practice. For example if you need to give somebody feedback, the best way may be to work first to understand where the other person is coming from, speak their language, make sure of your own motives. But you will have a very difficult time doing these things if you do not have a high degree of self-control. This is often why people hesitate to give feedback – they figure they’ll blow it. (And they probably will.) And so their Circle of Influence stays small. Personal independence is the very core of effective interdependence, and a person that has a high degree of independence will have the power to work in an effective way in these social situations.