The bottom line is at some point you have to ask yourself, “What do I want to be?” It may seem cliché, but those five words form one of the most powerful questions you’ll ever face. For example, rushing to get your paper done so can go out for a few drinks with friends might seem like a victory at the time, but that will get you nowhere in regards to reaching the destination you initially set out for. We all strive to achieve subtle victories throughout life, but if those victories are getting us closer to something that we don’t actually want, are they in fact victories in the first place? Meaning, don’t seek victories simply for the joy of winning, but rather seek the victories that will get you to your preferred destination. Beginning with the end in mind correlates directly with the meaning behind Wooden’s words here. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.” Granted, he may have been referring to sports at the time, but it’s more than applicable to all areas of life. And when you have that destination engrained in the back of your mind, it makes the journey of medical school much less daunting. For medical students, however, the end is graduating medical school, before pursuing your dreams as a doctor. For many people, the hardest part of this is determining what exactly they want to pursue as a career in the first place – it’s impossible to begin with the end in mind if you do not know what you want the end to be. You hear it all the time growing up: what do you want to do with your life? Oftentimes, we get so caught up in the intricacies of life that we lose sight of the purpose behind whatever it is we’re doing. Habit #2: Begin With The End In Mind “It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busyness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover that it’s leaning against the wrong wall.”Ĭovey’s second habit is all about having a clear vision of what it is that you want to achieve. In the end, it’s all on you – you have the ability to be a proactive person and go where others are not willing to go. What it boils down to is this: In medical school, you are going to face a lot of external sources that will tempt you to be a reactive person – long hours, plenty of bills, etc. Despite what your weather app may be telling you, you can still choose to go to class. Covey stresses that what distinguishes us as humans from all other forms of life is our inherent ability to examine ourselves and make choices based upon our examination. What they don’t realize is that even if they do choose to sit and complain, and even if their complaints are objectively valid, it still won’t get them anywhere.Ī proactive person, on the other hand, realizes that all the rain has done is present them with a choice: go to class and proceed as usual, or take the easy way out. It takes less effort to do nothing and complain than it does to take the initiative and overcome adversity – even if that adversity is something as faint as a little rain. Why? It’s simple - because that’s the easy way. If it’s raining outside, they choose not to go to class and blame the rain when they fail a test because they weren’t there to receive the material. ![]() They feel victimized by things entirely out of their control. Once you grasp the notion that what separates those at the top of their class from those that drop out in their first year is a proactive mindset - as opposed to a reactive one - you can then understand how to achieve the former, as opposed to the latter.Ī reactive person constantly searches for areas in their life to place blame upon. You are in charge, and that is a beautiful thing. Whether you’re a first-year medical student or about to graduate, you have the ability to choose the attitude you attack each day with. ![]() It’s about controlling what you can control. Habit #1: Be Proactive “But until a person can say deeply and honestly, ‘I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,’ that person cannot say, ‘I choose otherwise.’”īeing proactive is essentially taking responsibility for your life. Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
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