Steven Covey wrote the book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” It is not an easy reading book, but its principles are powerful. The first habit is to live your life with the end in mind; what exactly do you want to do with your life besides just live and do whatever? I like to declare that I am the world’s greatest fisherman. I know that I am not, but even if I was, that is not much of a legacy to leave behind after living 80 years. It is like, so what, who cares, what difference does that make? The other day in my blog, I said I had a goal to become the world’s greatest gardener; I don’t really, but even if I did have that goal and accomplished it, what difference did I make in anyone’s life? Who would remember that? So, what is my aim in life? What do I hope to achieve and be remembered for as a result of living my life? In a sentence, I want to be remembered as a man who taught the Bible accurately and in such a compelling way that all those who heard it understood it completely and were motivated to live it faithfully. There are many other things that I want to accomplish with my life related to my marriage, my kids, my grandkids, and other people, but the main thing is my teaching ministry.

So, if that really is the target of my life, it ought to influence how I live my life, how I use my time, the priorities of my choices all day long, and the focus of my prayer life. The more focused a person lives their life, the more successful they will be.

So, what are the things you want to be remembered for? If asked that question, many people will respond with a glib, “Oh, you know, just to be a nice guy that everybody liked.” Most people have not thought about it much. It is a habit of highly effective people; “They live life with the end in mind.” The best way to become that kind of motivated person is to develop the skill and practice of writing goals for your life. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9 that he didn’t run the race without aim, nor do I.