When you look back at this moment of life, how do you want to remember it?
Stephen Covey talked about “beginning with the end in mind.”
Great advice but I don’t think it always applies. Sometimes, you can’t even see the next step so how can you think about the end?
There are times when you are struggling so much that you can’t even fathom what a year from now may look like.
Now, I am not going to disagree with a legend like Stephen Covey because I do believe he is right and his advice is helpful but what about the dad who is stuck in today?
The dad who is just trying to put food on the table?
This dad isn’t thinking years down the road rather is focused on where the next meal will come from or how to pay all the bills.
What can the dad in this situation do now so that when he looks back at this moment he is proud, not ashamed?
This is where James Clear’s advice might be more helpful.
In his book, Atomic Habits, Clear says:
1) Decide the type of person you want to be.
2) Prove it to yourself with small wins.
You may not have the full view of the end but you can choose the kind of person you want to be in the end now by how you react to this situation.
Prove to yourself the kind of person you want to be today.