The most visionary and inspirational people I know have one thing in common.
It’s not high position or material wealth…
They all know their Mission.
The world can be divided between survivors and dreamers.
Survivors aren’t materially poor, they’re trapped in today and tomorrow. Dreamers don’t have their head in the clouds, they have a sense of purpose.
All great leaders are dreamers.
They have a reason for living and behaving in a certain way.
We call it Mission.
Simon Sinek calls it “the Why”
Why is “why” important?
For a start, thinking about the future drives different decisions from only thinking about today and tomorrow.
Mission is an antidote to the daily struggle.
It also provides focus.
In Post 105. “What do you Believe?”, we asked you to be open to new ideas.
Once you’re open, the logical question is to what? Anything? It can’t be everything.
When you have purpose, the “what” you learn about comes instantly and automatically. Like magic.
When you dream of being a good teacher, you’ll suddenly see teachers all around you.
If the dream is to drive fast you see cars..
“Why” is important because it gives you “what”.
It helps you learn.
The game between Mission and Survival is well understood by good leaders. They didn’t wait for their Mission to appear, they found it.
Try it yourself.
Find your personal Mission. Your purpose in life.
It’s there – waiting for you to give it a name.
It might be a social cause, or a spiritual destination, or just being a good parent. It might be career or work related.
A Mission isn’t a target, those come later. Saving for retirement isn’t a mission.
Your Mission is your reason for getting out of bed, for staying back at work or maybe for going home early, or saving for retirement…
Maybe it’s what you want people to say about you? A legacy you want to leave.
Knowing your purpose sets you on the road to improvement and leadership.
“..all great leaders are dreamers…”
Knowing your Mission gives it magic powers. It will start to show up in conversations and decisions.
Here’s another secret – Mission is most important when things are most uncertain.
When chaos and trouble hit, which they will, it’s your sense of purpose that will light a way out. It’s not a magic cure, but by making decisions easier it will help you find the cure.
That’s why you need it now.
If you know your Mission already, take time to reflect on it.
If you don’t, make time to discover it. Not a corporate or a team mission, your personal one.
If you’re not sure, try reflecting on what you dream about or think about a lot. Especially in quiet times.
You can have more than one, but you’ll know which are most important.
It can change as you change. Most do.
You might choose to share it, or keep it to yourself.
Go find it. Know it.
When you know your Mission, you’ll be ready for work.
.
.
“I might be wrong, but at least I’ve thought about it…”