January 26, 2010
Table of Contents:
A personal note from John
This issue's Musing - "Your Mission, Should You Decide to Accept It...."
For your consideration...
A Personal Note from John
Wow! The year has already taken off! January is almost
over. It seems like there is more to do than ever before. And it does look like things are easing in
the economy. (At least a bit.) There are creative businesses out there who have more business than they have
ever had. And some of these same businesses had a good year last year, too. Yes, they had challenges,
but they used their creativity to develop solutions to the challenges.
One of the things that helps me meet the challenge is my own personal mission. When things get overwhelming,
I revisit my mission (told in a succinct mission statement) and find wisdom and energy. Wisdom, because it
reminds why I am trying to do what I do (and where I am getting off track). Energy, because it reconnects
with the core of who I am and what I love... and that always results in excitement and energy.
I really hope that you, too, have a personal mission statement that reflects the core of who you are. (I know
that you have a personal mission, even if you haven't discovered it, yet.) That personal mission and the
mission for your creative business are the fire in your steam engine that will drive you to success, even in
challenging times.
The Career and Business Mentor for Creatives
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This Issue's Musing - "Your Mission, Should You Decide to Accept
It...."
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Do you have a mission for your life (and career and/or
business)? I believe you do.
Now... do you know what that mission is? My experience is that
most people don't.
If you can't tell someone what your life is about (mission) in less than three sentences, then you probably don't
really know what it is about. And, if you aren't clear on your life, how can you be clear on your business or
career?
I believe in having a personal mission statement so strongly because I have seen what it can do in people's
lives... including my own. I have mentored so many whose careers (and businesses) were a conflicting zig-zag
because they had no unifying factor. Once those same people discovered their personal missions, their
lives (including their careers and businesses) shot forward... because they had a destination... and it didn't take
will-power on their part. They became both driven (in a good way) and drawn (to the fulfillment of their
missions.)
Can you operate without a personal mission statement? Sure. Anyone can operate without discovering their
mission. There is no magic in a personal mission statement... unless it is clarity.
Writing a personal mission statement requires you to become clear on who you are (the core of yourself and your
innate talents and drives.) Once you are clear on who you are and what is fundamentally important to you,
obstacles begin to get smaller and smaller. Or is it that you begin to grow larger and larger with a
corresponding increase in energy and resources?
It's true that your energy and resources grow when you are clear about your mission. It happens for several
reasons.
1. You begin to pare away the baggage that doesn't help you in your mission. Lightening the load gives
you more energy for the journey.
2. You connect with the core drivers for your life. It is like putting dry wood into the boiler of a
steam engine instead of waterlogged wood. Your inner fire burns hotter and produces more useful energy.
3. "You get more of what you set your attention on." When you set your attention on your clear mission,
you begin to find the resources you need that will take you there.
4. You have a compass to assist you in determining the right route for you. With a clear mission, you
can run with opportunities that take you towards fulfilling it, and say "No" to the things that lead you away from
it.
Notice that all the metaphors I've used talk about a journey? That's because fulfilling your own personal
mission is a journey... one that will take your whole life to complete. And knowing your mission makes
it an enjoyable journey. Why? Because working towards fulfilling your mission is self-rewarding... you
get neurological and emotional reinforcement just by doing it. In other words, it is FUN for you.
Once you have your personal mission identified (and stated), then a mission statement for your business (and/or
career) becomes easy.
Action Step
If you don't have a personal mission statement, start working on
it. If you do, revisit it. Post your mission statement someplace where you will see it every
day. Return to it when life gets discouraging... let it recharge you or point you back to the path.
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For Your Consideration...
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Want the benefits of a personal mission statement but haven't discovered your mission,
yet? Consider taking advantage of my special mentoring packages for discovering your personal
mission. Because I feel so strongly that everyone should know their mission, I am offering a special
package right now to help more people find their missions so they can start living their missions. In
either the one-on-one mentoring or in the group mentoring package you will get personalized attention from
me.
To learn more, go towww.careerandbusinessmentor.com/Mission-Discovery.html
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