Something to Start the Year With

This actually was brought about through my conversation with my boss. There I was in his room, keeping my thoughts to myself as he was reading my evaluation for the past year. I was very tense since I know he had a great expectation from me. Eventhough he already said that I had one of the best written evaluation among his team members, something inside of me still longed for assurance, for security.

We talked for a while through my accomplishments, then we went into strengths. He totally agreed with it. He didn't disapprove of anything that I wrote. I was relieved for a while but when it came to my weakness, I suddenly felt that uneasy feeling coming back. I don't know if it's natural, but talking about one's weakness seems to leave one naked and nobody wants that "butterfly in the stomach" feeling.

But something in the conversation made an impact on me. The ones that I wrote down were true. I need to be a confident, executing, clear thinker. Let me explain. I am person who is easily distracted by the things that come my way. More so, I am a forgetful person. Would you believe there are some childhood memories that I can't remember already? I need to be confident - not just about myself but also of the results of my work. Lastly, I need to achieve my set goals and if possible exceed these expectations.

Woah! talk about some hard and serious stuff. But when I think about it, they are all true. One sentence stuck to my mind for the rest of the session and I just want to share it with you. "Begin with the end in mind." What does this means? It means going from general to specific. In one of Stephen Covey's book, he did an illustration that is very fitting for this. Think about the future you who is already dead. And let's just say that you happen to be a ghost who is on your own funeral. What would you like to hear from those who attended your service? "Oh, this man was very irresponsible when he was alive!" "This man did not finish anything that he started!" or would you rather hear "He was a great loss to all of us because he was one who encouraged us by the way he lived his life!" " He always surprised (exceeded expectations) me with his work!"

This is also relevant not only in work, but also in life, in church, in the family. "Begin with the end in mind!" I want to be a good Christian. I want God to say "Welcome my good and faithful servant!" I want to be a good son and brother. Of course, after which planning how to achieve that is equally important. At least I have something to begin with.

I can't say that I'll be able to turn at once my weakness into strengths, but with God's help maybe I can (I will) in the near future.