I’ve been thinking lately…
About contradictory “business advice.”
Like, on the one hand, you need to envision your outcomes, your ideal life, and work backward from there.
“Begin with the end in mind,” as Stephen Covey says.
On the other hand, the meditation gurus say the best results are achieved when you forget the past, forget the future, and live in the present moment.
“Begin with the end in mind” and “focus on the present moment” – how do you accomplish both seemingly contradictory things?
I think maybe there is a time and a place for everything.
I think you need to envision how you wish the future to play out, make plans, and then focus on one task at a time, in the present moment, so you can do your very best job of executing on the small steps necessary to carry out your future goal.
And with your future, ideal self always at the forefront of your mind, you can build a self image of the person you need to become right now, in this very present moment, in order to get there.
So best I can tell, it’s both/ and.
As for me, in the future I see myself as an old man at his writing desk, enjoying the wealth he spent his life creating, sending letters to his daughters, and writing down thoughts to pass on to his readers.
Life can be complex, but it’s no use approaching it with complex strategies that are impossible to execute.
Create a vision and a goal, create a plan to get there, them take small steps toward it.
One day at a time, one task at a time.
I think that’s the very best any of us can do.
Paul Denni
paul@denni.biz
P.S. To help create a vision for your future and your legacy, consider this to help you along the way: