Start With "Why?"

Now that you've decided when to record the LifeStories of your loved ones, it's time to decide "why". Stephen Covey, in his best-seller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People http://tinyurl.com/447ttwo, wrote as Habit 2 "Begin with the End in Mind." For us, the end in mind is directly tied to the "why" of recording a LifeStory. The answer to your "why" will guide all the other steps in the process. In order to find your "why", ask yourself the following questions: What will the finished LifeStory be used for? Is this an ongoing project or a one-time interview? Who will be the audience that will view the video? The answer to these and other "end in mind" questions you ask yourself should be answered before you go to the next step. As you can imagine, your next steps would be different if you were recording the stories for a university-type historical archive vs. for a family fun project.

The good news is that you, and only you, get to decide your "why", and there are no wrong answers! Your "why" is your "why". If other people want to chime in with their opinions, they can, but you are the ultimate decision maker. So I encourage you to explore the end in mind with great thought...and be sure to write down your "why". You might need to reference it as we work through the process of recording a LifeStory.

In my following post, we will begin exploring the next step, the pre-interview process. The fun is just beginning!