Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind

Habit 2 from Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is called "Begin With the End in Mind." This habit teaches us to always have a clear vision of what we want to achieve before we start any task. It reminds us to set goals and think about our purpose so that every step we take brings us closer to what we really want in life.

In this chapter, Covey explains that without knowing our destination, we may work hard but not reach the right place. He uses the example of imagining our own funeral, asking what we want people to say about us. This helps us realize what matters most. The habit is not only about big life goals but also about small tasks, even lesson planning for teachers.

A key quote from this habit is: “Begin today with the image of the end of your life as your frame of reference by which everything else is measured.” This reminds us to always think about our final goal in everything we do.

The values in this habit are clear purpose, motivation, responsibility, and direction. It helps us stay focused and avoid wasting time.

As an English language teacher, this habit is very important. A teacher must set clear learning objectives for students. If the teacher knows what skills or knowledge students should achieve by the end of a lesson, they can prepare better activities, materials, and assessments. This habit helps teachers to be more effective, purposeful, and focused in their teaching.