Most
of us love to say we wake up in the morning feeling
light-hearted--joyful even--and move through the day with purpose and
intention, but the reality is most of us spend the larger part of our
day going through the motions, feeling exhausted and, maybe
sometimes, actually wondering what the point of it all is.
A
recent Workplace Report showed
only 30% of Australian workers feel engaged or inspired at their
jobs, and only about 15% feel that they are satisfactorily reaching
anywhere near their full potential. The 70 percenters seem to shrug
and complain “I'm doing my best.” Nothing could be further from
the truth. The word “disillusioned” just sprang to my mind: but
that, too, is simply not true. Disenchantment is a state of being so
deeply steeped in Illusion, it's sufferers are drowning in it.
It’s
my contention that it's possible for all of us to find joy in our
business, spiritual, family, social, and personal lives, but to do so
requires willingness, integrity, strategy, and some kind of passion
for possibility.
As
a life coach and, later, a crisis counselor, I had people ask me
questions like ‘should I take this promotion?’, ‘Is this the
right career move for me?’, “Is this the right partner for me?”
In response I often told the story of Alice in Wonderland; she came
to a fork in the road, and the signpost had been knocked over. She
asked the Cheshire Cat “Which direction should I take?” “Where
do you want to go?” asked the Cat. “I'm not sure,” stammered
Alice. “Then,” said the Cat, “It doesn't much matter which
direction you take, does it?”
Too
many of us wait for a new opportunity to happen along and hit us over
the heart. No organisation worth its weight in salt would never leave
their business results to chance. Happiness and Satisfaction are the
milieu of deliberate and conscious choices.
Not
having a clear direction is the number one mistake we make in our
careers and personal lives. Every effective strategic plan starts
with a declaration of an entity’s purpose that expresses:
- why they exist,
- what they value,
- what they intend to accomplish,
- how they intend to go about it; and
- how they know whether they're succeeding.
Too
many of us wallow in our unhappiness, waiting for a new opportunity
to come along, or for some divine miracle that will change our
current situation. A business organisation would never leave their
results to chance. You would never get anyone to invest in a project
if they couldn’t see what the return was going to be on that
investment. In order for a business to know that they’ve been
successful, they need a mission statement, firstly for everyone to
aim for and, secondly, to measure how well they're doing.
Forming
a personal mission statement means identifying your purpose. While
this may sound like a profound philosophical question--on par with
the meaning of life-- asking “what am I here to do?” isn’t as
challenging as it seems. And I really wonder how you intend to live a
satisfying life if you don't know what satisfaction you're really
looking for, and what you think satisfaction will feel like when you
have it.
What
do you need to have in a day to make it joyful for you, connecting
with people on a daily basis and doing something that makes a
valuable contribution to someone else’s life? Make a list of all
the things you need in your day to make you feel in love with life.
Perhaps it’s as simple as spending time outdoors every day or
seeing your kids off to school. One thing's for sure, it’s a bit
more ambitious than picturing yourself on a beach with a cold beer.
It has more to do with what you need to be doing to make your life
meaningful to you.
LIST YOUR VALUES AND PASSIONS.
Finding
joy in your career and life means knowing what you value and the
qualities of living that you espouse, in the order of their
importance to you. What, also, are your passions?
If you have trouble
coming up with your list of values and passions, think about the best
experiences you’ve had, what you do when you’re procrastinating,
or what you daydream about, or what you do for a hobby. Think about
what gets you fired up, and find the constructive values that
underlie those good feelings.
Here's
an exercise that will help get you started. Write two eulogies for
yourself. Make the first one for your life as you'd like it to become
over the next few years; make the second one for your life as it is
now. What could your best friends truthfully say about you? You will
find your experience of doing this exercise more profound if you take
pen, paper and a bottle of water to your nearest churchyard, bush
reserve, memorial park or cemetery and do your contemplating and
writing there. When you read these eulogies back, you'll begin to get a glimpse of your core values, the things that are really of value to you. And you may begin to like and appreciate yourself just a little bit more, too.
Then
look more closely at the evidence of your life as it is. Find a
place within where you can comfortably accept the inevitable
possibility that “This isn't quite how it is at the moment.” If
this is your experience, don't be tempted to beat yourself up about
that. Rather, be grateful that you have a clear direction for your
first Mission Statement.
IDENTIFY YOUR TALENTS.
List
all of the things you’re good at that you can bring to bear on
fulfilling your Mission Statement. Concisely include how you can express them in your
Action Plan.
If
you find it difficult to conduct your own talent inventory, ask
others around you to tell you what they think are your greatest
strengths.
Another
way to find your talents is to examine your past accomplishments.
Think of something you’re particularly proud of. Next, examine the
skill sets that made you successful in that instance.
Creating
a mission that aligns with your natural talents means you are more
likely to be aligned with your Life Path, and success will likely
come easier.
CONSIDER CORE VALUES.
Your
personal mission statement must reflect those two or three bedrock
basics that matter most to you personally. Things you will not sell
out on for anyone or anything. These guiding principles help you to
set priorities.
BENCHMARKS
Set
workable criteria by which you'll be able to gauge how you're going,
and notice where and how you may be modifying your Statement in the
light of changing circumstances and your experiences along the way.
Armed
with your new mission statement, you can then begin to put together a
strategic plan for how you’re going to get to where you want to go.
Post your mission statement prominently to remind yourself every day
of what matters most to you and to help you and those who support you
to keep on track.
And
review your Mission Statement often. If it is not to become a
limitation, your Mission Statements must adapt and grow with you.
[Listen
With Your Heart – Casey Donovan (A) – 4:01]
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