Start with the End in Mind for More Peace of Mind
When was the last time you stopped to think about your future self or how you want to feel at the end of the week to be able to feel relaxed and caught up before the weekend hits? Or how to move into your busy session at work with meetings and assessments to write with a plan of attack to chunk things out and not feel overwhelmed?
As speech therapists, we are so busy taking care of everyone, our student’s or client’s goals, and everything around us that we often forget to stop and think about ourselves and what our priorities are.
One powerful tool to help is to plan ahead with having the “end in mind.” This allows us to be more productive along with improving our overall well-being.
What does it mean to start with the end in mind?
Beginning with the end in mind means starting each month, week, or day with a clear vision of what is coming ahead and needs to get done by a certain time. It’s like working backwards...have you heard that before?
Think about what you want to feel like at the end of the day, week, or month and what needs to happen to get there. This is your desired outcome with a proactive vision to make it happen.
Lewis Carroll said - "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." This can be really confusing and make your path more overwhelming. Creating a clear vision with the end in mind is the first step towards a clear path.
For instance, let's say that you plan a weekend getaway at the end of the month. By having the end in mind, you can start planning accordingly and complete your most important tasks before the weekend. This way, you can go on your vacation feeling relaxed and on top of things.
You can even use this vision of the future as a reward for getting all of the things done that you need to do. So, your end result is taking the vacation and feeling recharged when you come back, not overwhelmed or guilty for this much-needed escape.
Work backwards and chunk it out.
Now that you have that end result in mind, you can start working backwards. List all of the tasks that are on your plate with a deadline before going on vacation. Break them down into smaller steps or projects as much as you can to pace yourself.
We recommend doing the hardest things first and understanding when your brain works the best for these tasks. Some people are on fire in the morning, and some have a harder time waking up. Once you complete the more difficult chunks of tasks, the rest is downhill.
Why starting with the end in mind is important in our profession?
Starting with the end in mind is especially important to us as SLPs because it helps us clear the chaos and stay laser-focused on what really matters to us.
As speech therapists, we have so much on our plate! Referrals, reports to write, meetings and transitioning back to school with a whole new batch of protocols and unfamiliar territory. If we are unclear with what our end goal is, we can easily fall into the trap of getting behind and feeling overwhelmed.
Working backwards with the end in mind is important as it gives us clarity, purpose, and direction. Give it a try and let us know if it improves your overall efficiency, productivity, and well-being. Please stay in touch and let us know if it helped you.
If you have any questions, we are here to support you in any way we can.
Article by Elizabeth Sautter, M.A., CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist & Executive Director of Communication Works
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