The second habit is to continuously begin thinking about where you want to go before you start. Steps in between get a lot easier when you know where you want to end up.

It is really easy to get caught up in activities and busyness. Covey is using the metaphor of working hard at climbing a ladder, only to find out later that it is leaning against the wrong wall. You can be really busy without actually being effective.

To know your destination means that you’ll need a good inner compass. It sounds weird, but putting your values to paper might be something that really uncovers what things you find most important.