Beginning with the end in mind is very similar to Collins' Core Values principle. Organizations are successful when they have core values that never change. As Covey explains, "People can't live with change if there's not a changeless core inside them." He says that one of the reasons our form of government has lasted so long is because we have had a relatively changeless constitution that reflected core values that were espoused by our country. Perhaps the reason our country is slipping is because we have lost sight of the values of liberty, a free market, and limited government.

In a more personal application, we need to keep in mind the direction we want to go. We need to spend time pondering our destination. When I was a boy scout, I attended a leadership camp called Timberline. The symbols of this camp were boots and a compass. The boots represented hard work and the compass represented direction. We were taught that one doesn't do any good without the other. Hard work makes us efficient and productive, but we need to add direction to be effective.