MISSION POSSIBLE: WHAT'S YOURS?

How to Write a Mission Statement
To Inspire and Motivate Yourself

From Spirit Incorporated:
How to Follow Your Spiritual Path from 9 to 5

 Copyright by Kathleen Hawkins

www.winningspirit.com

Imagine waking up every day refreshed, in a positive state of mind, and excited about going to work. Imagine staying on target all day, meeting challenges from a spiritual perspec­tive, and ending each day with a sense of accomplishment. All this is possible when you have a mission statement that reflects your spiritual outlook.

 A company develops a mission statement so the various departments within the or­ganization can budget their resources, better focus their activities to achieve the company's objectives, and work toward a common goal.

As the chief executive officer of your own life you have a wonderful opportunity to create a mission statement for your professional life that addresses your deepest values. But how exactly do you write one? Here are some ideas.

The Theme
Most successful mission statements revolve around the following theme: to earn a living or make a profit and feel fulfilled while contributing to others by providing quality products.

Variations on the Theme
Now choose the phrases below to tailor a mission statement for yourself that fits your values, or use the phrases to generate your own ideas. Feel free to change the order of the items. As you draft your statement keep in mind that it is spiritually correct to be rich if you do it ethically. That is, after all, one of the reasons you're in business or have a job: to make money.

           
Once you've crafted your “perfect” mission statement realize that it's not etched in stone. It can change and evolve as you grow in wisdom, knowledge, and insight.

 How to Keep Your Mission in Mind
To avoid the out-of-sight-out-of-mind syndrome, keep your mission statement close at hand throughout the day—on your desk or in your purse, briefcase, or wallet. Or use your computer to help you. If you have a screen-saver program that darkens your monitor after so many minutes of non-use, consider programming it to scroll your guiding principles across the screen. If you have a daily-re­minder program, have it display your mission statement at the beginning of each day or display affirmations to keep you on target such as:

I have peace, poise, and power
I make excellent money doing work I love
I expect the best and receive what I want or better

 Back From the Future
When you plan your day, be sure that the activities on your “to-do” list relate to your mission statement, then schedule time to work on those activities. This way, no matter how hectic a particular day has been, you've still accomplished something im­portant, which gives you a sense of progress and keeps your energy high.

One way to determine if you're working on the right thing at any given time is to use the “Back from the Future” technique described by Peter Turla, president of the National Management Institute. He invites people to do the following exercise:

Pretend that it's a year from now—or five or ten years, or the end of your life—and you're looking back on today. Will you be able to say that you used your time wisely and that today was spent well?

With your mission statement in hand to guide and inspire you, you'll be able to answer “yes” to the questions above. You'll embrace work with greater enthusiasm, create more prosperity—economic, social, and spiritual—for yourself, and conduct business in a way that enriches yourself and those with whom you work. 

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Copyright by Kathleen Hawkins
Author of Spirit Incorporated: How to Follow Your Spiritual Path from 9 to 5

www.winningspirit.com