The Forgotten Monk

As you know, I really enjoy stories, specifically ones that surround a unique protagonist. I find the whole mythos surrounding a protagonist fascinating. Take the protagonist from the last action movie I saw last weekend; ‘The Lookout’. Not a great movie, not particularly well written, or directed; but the movies plot device was something unique and useful.

The movie’s protagonist Chris Pratt received a severe head injury. He suffered a loss of certain memory functions and experienced problems with sequencing. As a result he constantly wrote down his daily tasks in his notepad in order to remember them. Chris lived with his best friend Lewis, a blind man paired with him by social services.

One day frustrated with his progress with memory sequencing, Lewis suggested that he “start at the end and work backwards”. And it is in that one characteristic that saves this movie from my circular file cabinet.

***Spoiler Warning***

Of course later in the movie he gets into deep trouble. Two ruthless men kidnap his best friend. He really thought long and hard about how he was going to get out of the situation. Then he remembered what Lewis said, “Start at the end and work backwards”. So he wrote down his main goal, “Save Lewis”. Then, he thought to himself, ok before that I have to “Kill Gary” and so on and so forth.

***Spoiler Warning***

The plot device really illustrated the importance of writing down your goals. Sounds simple, but how often have you heard the advise to write down your goals? Probably the only thing missing from that advise is to write down the sequense of steps to take you to your main goal. And after writing them down check them off one by one.

Take a lesson from Chris Pratt. Write down your main goal and work backwards. What do you think?

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