Habit 2: Begin with the End in mind
“And enterprises of great pitch and moment, with this regard, their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action” (Shakespeare). Often overlooked and underestimated, planning short and long term goals are a must. Finish the project. Start the advertising campaign. Begin using accounting software instead of writing notes on torn pieces of spam envelopes. Making plans and sticking to them is not only useful in the long run, it also teaches the discipline much necessary in running a business. The consequences may chase up pretty fast. This year I spent much more time than necessary while preparing tax statements, because didn’t bother using any special tools for company books. However, didn’t have any downtime when my workhorse laptop was undergoing repairs because I planned for it and prepared a replacement. Short term goals are easier to plan and stick to, because the outcome is much more predictable and faster to see, unlike more long-term goals. That’s another long-term, hard-to-stick-to plan: keep long term goals in shape.