THE END PRODUCT IS CREATED IN A CERTAIN SEQUENCE
OF CAUSES AND EFFECTS
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The end product is always created from a chain of causes and effects that are in a set sequence (order).
It is important to realize that everything is created through a cause-effect chain (aka a "causal chain" - where there is an effect there must be a preceding cause) - AND that we can "work" the chain backwards and/or forwards to come up with what will work to get us to the ultimate results we want. We cannot really solve most problems or do any effective planning without considering all the parts of a causal chain. Note that each effect along the way is also a cause of the next item in our chain.
Cause 1 → Effect 1 → Effect 2 → Result we want
(Cause 2) (Causes
Result)
We can go "forwards" in a cause-effect chain, from each cause to each effect or we can go backwards in a chain from the effect back to the cause (or possible causes), so that we can identify and choose a cause to cure as early as possible in the chain - and therefore stopping the rest of the chain. Or if we to cure the cause - hopefully as early as possible in the chain.
Stephen Covey used a strategy similar to this for tracing back from the result to the causes, called Begin With The End In Mind. Basically, I go backwards down the chain from the ultimate result/effect that I want:
If the result I want is "happiness", then I can ask, what will give me happiness? And once we get the answer to that, we can then ask "What will get me what that cause (of happiness)?" Then we can go backwards to the cause of that cause.
It is essential to our lives to do this process in our lives so that we can know what to do to cause the whole chain to get us to the end result. People fail to figure out what to aim for or they end up as a "wandering generality" going nowhere in life - where people end up living lives that are often "of quiet desperation".
A simple idea - but people don't heed it. So I repeat it here in hopes that you refocus on this in your life, as it will get you a better life.
