You’ve heard about how mapping your dreams, goal-setting and visualization can transform your life. You’re ready to pursue greater happiness and abundance. But what if you’re not sure how?
Many of us have trouble improving our lives because we don’t know what we want. When we were kids, we knew we wanted to be a fireman, a doctor or a ballerina. As adults, however, we find ourselves lacking direction.
We may want to trade our dead-end job for a fulfilling career, but falter when it comes to figuring out what kind of work we would enjoy. We may long for a satisfying relationship but find ourselves unable to picture the kind of person we’d like to be with, much less how to find them. For some people, nearly every aspect of life—from work to play—is marked by confusion and apathy.
How did this conundrum occur?
THE LOST ART Of DREAMING
When we can’t figure out what we want, it is a sign that somewhere along the way, we stopped dreaming. There are any number of dream-killers: hard times, disillusionment and the ill-effects of counter-mentoring (discouraging messages delivered by loved ones, teachers and other people who are supposed to serve as role models).
We begin to think in the negative. We can’t afford to get what we want. We don’t deserve to get what we want. Things are going well, but look out; the other shoe always drops and we end up disappointed. We develop personal mantras like these that discourage us from shooting for the stars.
This kind of pessimistic self-talk is depressing and even downright dangerous, says author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins: “Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.”
When we visualize our desires as blocked before we even reach for them, we begin to settle. The problem with settling for something—our job, the car we drive, the people we associate with, our level of education, our state of health and mind—is that we end up missing the mark. Because we are not living our dreams, optimum happiness is far away.
A NEW START
Guess what? You can reclaim and revitalize your dreams.
It’s hard to know what you want if you don’t know who you are. That’s why writing a personal mission statement is arguably the best way to start dreaming.
A personal mission statement is a succinct declaration of how you want to live your life. It encompasses the following: your values, which, to put it simply, are what matters to you; your endeavors, or what you plan to do to fulfill your primary concerns; and your purpose, the needs you fill through your efforts.
The best mission statements are usually short and sweet; one to three sentences or a paragraph at the most should suffice. They are not too general (“I want to work hard at whatever I do.”) Despite their brevity, honing a mission statement may take a bit of time. You want to ensure that your personal mission truly reflects your core values so that you can use it as a roadmap, one that will not lead you astray.
Here is an example of a mission statement:
“My mission is to make a positive impact in people’s lives, primarily young people, by imparting what I have learned. I strive to help people see the best in themselves while maintaining honesty, warmth and understanding.”
If you wrote this statement, it indicates that you might be interested in teaching or counseling. If you outlined these values, you will feel uncomfortable when obscuring the truth or behaving in a discouraging manner, whether in your personal or professional life.
A personal mission statement can encompass your entire life and worldview. Or, you may wish to write personal mission statements for any number of the important areas in your life: career, family, health, spirituality, relationships, finances, personal development, lifestyle, etc.
Here’s an example of a mission statement in the area of health and fitness, cited on the Time Thoughts website:
“To be healthy, fit and energetic so that I can enjoy life to the fullest and have the energy to pursue all my goals. I will do this by exercising regularly, following a nutritious diet and eliminating negative habits that are impacting my health.”
It is important to avoid crippling perfectionism when writing your mission statement. Don’t be afraid of getting it wrong because you can always adjust it as needed. Anthony Robbins emphasizes the importance of “getting out there” and not waiting for it to be just right. The important thing is that your personal mission statement, and your life, be just right for you just now.
“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends,” he urges. “Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process . . . You don’t have to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”
There are few acts as transformative as defining how we want to live, notes Tony Robbins. “Three years ago I sat down and designed my ideal day and my ideal environment,” he said at the start of his career as a motivator. “I’m living both right now.”
FAMOUS MISSIONS
People who have achieved wealth, fame and influence have a clear idea of how they want to live and what they wish to achieve. Get online and browse through some quotes by your heroes. You’ll find their personal missions shine through their words.
Walt Disney once said, “Animation offers a medium of story telling and visual entertainment which can bring pleasure and information to people of all ages everywhere in the world.”
As you can see through his words and his works, Disney’s personal mission was to cultivate happiness and education through entertainment:
Mahatma Gandhi had a far-reaching “Resolution” that kept him on his revolutionary path.
“Let the first act of every morning,” he vowed, “be to make the following resolve for the day:
I shall not fear anyone on Earth.
I shall fear only God.
I shall not bear ill-will toward anyone.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
I shall conquer untruth by truth.
And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.”
We may not all aspire to such lofty goals, but we all wish to be happy. Another great thinker, the transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, penned a wonderful mission statement that is a delightful definition of a life well-lived:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children . . . to leave the world a better place . . . to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”What is your idea of a life well-lived? Sit down and write it out. It may be the first time you have pondered it. You can ask yourself a number of questions while brainstorming. The following are just a few questions that might prompt you to remember what you love to do.
SIX IMPORTANT QUESTIONSWhat do you do for fun? Chances are that among your hobbies and favorite pastimes, there are clues as to your personal mission statement. If you are passionate about karaoke, you may wish to pursue music or entertainment in some capacity. If you love heading out on the road whenever you get a chance, you may wish to look for a job that includes a lot of travel.
Who are your greatest heroes? It is likely that you share and wish to further cultivate similar values to your role models. You may even wish to pursue similar endeavors. Fore example, if your heroes are John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., you may be interested in a leadership role as a politician or a community activist. Anthony Robbins encourages this kind of modeling. As he says, “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.”
What do you like to read and learn about? Go sleuthing, checking out your bookshelves, your DVD collection, the TV programs you record and your magazine rack. If you have a passion for cookbooks and the cooking channel, you might want to look into culinary school or catering as an option. If your favorite show is “CSI” and your booklist is a who’s who of true crime writers, you may be interested in forensics or criminology.
What do you have a knack for? Perhaps you have a talent for art that you haven’t actively pursued in years, limiting your efforts to doodles while talking on the phone. Maybe you aced a number of psychology classes in college, or you are skilled at car repair. You may be able to gain fulfillment by getting back to the things you are naturally skilled in, or taking them to a new level.
What are your values? Make a list of adjectives—fairness, compassion, intelligence, adventurousness, etc.—and see which ones fit your priorities. What causes get you fired up? These may well be an indication of your values, not to mention areas in which you may want to work or volunteer. Perhaps you’re an animal activist at heart or a champion of literacy. Corresponding values might be compassion and education, respectively. Your values define who you are. Take the time to name them.
If you were to design a university course, or deliver a speech to a large number of people, what would your topic be? What would your message be? This is a question that can help reveal your areas of knowledge and interest. When people come to you for help now, what are they looking for? What are your areas of expertise and wisdom.
In creating a personal mission statement, it is important to inventory your greatest gifts, talents and passions. In doing so, you will open the door to possibility and a more abundant future.
Writing a personal mission statement is just one way to get in touch with your deepest dreams and values.
For more on how to dream-brainstorm, look for my upcoming article, Dreams: Brainstorming the possibilities.
The following information should help you get started on writing your personal mission statement.
Ready, set, dream!