YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT
My father was a big fan of Mission Impossible movies. He loved the impossibleness of the story; the hero, winning against all odds, triumphing against all evil.
A hero on a mission draws us in.
We want them to succeed, to conquer their fears, to stand courageously in the face of danger and to triumph brilliantly.
We root for Maximus Decimus Meridius and Ethan Hunt.
What’s your mission?
If I were to ask you what mission you’re on, what would you tell me? Or more importantly, what would you tell yourself?
Whether we want to admit it or not, we’re all on a mission.
It may not feel like we’ve chosen our mission or even accepted the one given, but a mission we are on nonetheless.
Your mission is what you work towards achieving every day. It’s where you channel your time, energy and resources.
If you’re happy with how things are unfolding in your life, then keep following your mission. When your results match your values and your vision, you’re brilliantly triumphing!
But if you want more in certain – or all – areas of your life, if you feel the need for direction, guidance and a sense of accomplishment, then this article is for you.
Choosing to be on a mission
I’m the first to admit it, I’m a control freak. I like to make my own decisions, take responsibility for them and go after the results I want.
What helps me make those decisions and own those choices is the clarity with which I chose the mission I am on by writing my own personal mission statement.
A personal mission statement defines who you are as a person and identifies your purpose both for your life and your business. It explains how you choose to show up to pursue that purpose and how you impact and serve others – a good statement is always geared towards serving others.
Such a statement is important as it helps you focus on what actually matters to you instead of keeping you stuck in indecision land or going down bottomless rabbit holes.
Once completed, all your decisions are measured against your personal mission statement and if they don’t fit in it, you shouldn’t follow through with them. As simple as that.
I’ve seen amazingly talented, skilled and hard working people fail at reaching their goals simply because they lacked clear direction and focus.
In this article, I want to share with you how I crafted my own mission statement and how I invite you to do the same.
It’s not a one-and-done exercise.
But if you give yourself a few weeks to write it all down, review it and embody it, the rewards it will reap in terms of clarity, focus, productivity and efficiency are well worth the effort.
My clients often tell me that above all else, they no longer feel anxious or overwhelmed, they no longer have doubts or fear about their decisions, they feel clear, driven and supported.
That’s what I want for you.
Establishing the Foundation
As the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey, says your mission statement is about “defining the personal, moral and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself.”
Crafting your personal mission statement is a 4 step process.
- List all of your skills and talents. What you are good at and want to do more of.
- List all of your goals, aspirations and dreams. The vision you have for your life.
- List all of your values. What you believe in, at your core. What transcends you.
The first 3 steps seem pretty simple at first glance, but it’s when you marry them together that you get a true sense of your mission.
If you dream of gracing the stage next to Il Volo but you can’t sing in tune and have little musical talent, you’ll have to choose if you want to devote the time, effort, energy and resources to developing the required skills and therefore, neglecting your other skills and talents.
If you dream of building a $100 million dollar business but you value family above all else, you might find it challenging to be present at every recital, play, practice and competition. You’ll need to choose what to prioritize.
The good news is that there are no right or wrong answers.
The only requirement is that your skills, talents, goals, ambitions and values work together. If not, it will be mission impossible.
How you marry the items together is what takes the most time to figure out. But again, well worth the effort.
Crafting your personal mission statement
The fourth step is the actual writing of the personal mission statement.
How you choose to write it, is up to you. Some like to write it in one sentence, like a tagline.
Others like to write it as a letter to themselves as if they had completed the mission and were sharing their triumphs, failures and experiences with their younger self.
I personally like to write it in the present tense, as my Ideal Self.
My Ideal Self is the embodiment of who I aspire to be.
As her, I boldly state my skills and talents. I recount how those skills and talents are helping me achieve clearly defined goals in specific timelines.
I detail how my mission benefits and improves the lives of others and how my values carry my mission forward and allow me to make the best decisions for me and my goals.
However you chose to write your personal mission statement, keep it close to you. Read it in the morning and in the evening. Read it out loud. Use it as an anchor when life gets hectic and things feel bleak.
EN 
FR