Making a mission statement
- At January 16, 2013
- By Nathan
- In Career & Life Planning
- 0
What is a mission statement?
A personal mission statement is a brief summary of your life focus. As such, it is larger than a career and much bigger than a job. And while it connects to your deepest convictions, it adds more information. Your statement is unique to you. It serves to direct your entire life by identifying the larger dreams and goals that drive you.
How do you make a mission statement?
It isn’t easy. Don’t expect it to be easy. You likely won’t find a quick formula or method to produce one. Although here is a suggestion: Give yourself, say, five years to live a busy, shallow, frantic, and non-reflective life. Then, stop and intensely reflect on the futility of the past five years. Meditate long enough to become good and frustrated. At this point, pull out a piece of paper and write down what you would much rather be doing with your life.
What does a mission statement look like?
My larger goal is to help restore Western civilization as a light in God’s world by encouraging the development of healthy and growing Christian communities and by expanding the influence of Christian individuals and organizations. At the same time, I hope to inspire people everywhere to develop their God-given potential for the common good.
Why bother working on a mission statement?
While there are likely many reasons, here are a few to consider:
1. To identify larger goals
A mission statement, or whatever you feel like calling it, will help you spend your time and focus your energy on something significant. Each person reading this is small and limited and can’t do everything. That being the case, what are you going to do with your life? How will you spend your time? Decisions must be made.
Writing down significant goals amounts to saying, “I am going to aim for this and not that.” So if you are tired of drifting along, doing a little of everything or a lot of nothing, you might want to work on your mission statement.
2. To set personal boundaries
A mission statement functions like a personal boundary. In other words, it is like a fence that separates your yard from your neighbour’s. For the most part, what your neighbour does on his land is up to him. If George began enriching uranium in his garage and building nuclear missiles pointed at you…now, that might be different. Usually, though, what George does over there is up to him and what you do – in your yard – is up to you. That’s how it works.
Do you ever feel like you are living someone else’s life? If so, you might need to have a look at your fence. Is it still there? Does it need repair? Take the time to establish your personal boundaries by formally identifying your life direction.
3. To discover core convictions
A mission statement will force you to think about what you believe. Unless, of course, you adamantly refuse and choose not to. Although that may be difficult. But do you really want to live a random and arbitrary life? The catchy slogan, “Practice random acts of kindness” could just as easily have been, “Practice random acts of cruelty!”
Sure, having strong convictions does not necessarily result in more of heaven here on earth. It all depends on what you truly believe. Look at Mali. But a widespread “whatever” mentality is good news if you were hoping for a little more hell. So keep asking “Why?” until you get answers. Go from there.
The short answer, is that it is a good idea to write a mission statement because this is another excercise that could help you reach your true potential.
Attempting to write a mission statement makes sense once you realize that writing is the process by which people usually discover things they don’t aleady know.
© Career & Life Direction 2013. All rights reserved.
Your clearness committee
- At November 24, 2012
- By Nathan
- In Career & Life Planning
- 0
Major decisions can have far-reaching consequences. Making a wise decision that is a fit with who you are as a person can be a challenge. One way to improve the chances of personal success is to organize your own clearness committee before spontaneously launching out in a new direction.
It isn’t a good idea to get into the habit of making large decisions all alone.
Clearness committees have been around now for over 300 years. Although this term can be traced back to the Quakers, many other groups of Christians emphasis the importance of seeking wise counsel. And for that matter, this concept comes across to many people as simply common sense. But the problem is that it isn’t always immediately obvious to young people, etc. how to invite the input of others.
Organizing a clearness committee is one way to go about gaining insight when you are faced with a significant life decision.
The use of language changes over the years. Words can become emotionally charged in a negative way. For any number of reasons, committees have developed a bad reputation. Most people would rather not go there. When you hear “committee” your knee-jerk reaction may be to quickly get away.
For one thing, committee meetings usually take place in the evening when you are already tired after a busy day. It can feel like one more event to squeeze into an already hectic schedule; another item on your agenda that you would be happy to avoid. Then, these group meetings often lack the structure and focus that is required in order to make the time spent positive and productive.
Committee meetings have been known to go on and on and on into the night accomplishing very little by the break of day. Exhausted and frustrated, you finally make your way home in a bad mood.
And let’s face it: Any time when you get a diverse group of people in one small room for a long period of time it isn’t always a good thing. Some tend to take over. Others refuse to engage in the discussion. Soon small details take up large amounts of time. There is one diversion after another. Rabbit trails multiply. Personalities clash. Before long, the conversation takes a wrong turn – the debate gets nasty and personal. People pick sides and exchange words, etc.
Who would want to be a part of that?
The strength of a committee, however, is that a wide variety of insights and perspectives are available to address the problem at hand. Insight and perspective: that is what you need right now in order to make a wise decision that will impact your future in a positive way.
How does a clearness committee work?
First of all, you need to sit down and take some time to write down what you are thinking about doing and why. Go into as much detail as you can. Let’s say you are considering moving to Madagascar to teach Canadian tourists how to commune with large sharks out in the open ocean. Try to answer the who, when, where, why, and how questions. Maybe you could start by making a note of how fast you can swim and how much life insurance you have. Go from there.
Next, call up 5 or 6 people you know and trust and ask them to meet with you for 2-3 hours. Be clear that you are not asking them to give you advice or tell you what to do. The idea is to have others ask you questions and possibly make observations in order to clarify what you think you should do. Set a date and then send your friends what you have written a few days in advance so they have time to think about your situation.
When you meet, ask someone to lead your clearness committee and enforce the observation-and-question-only rule. Ask someone else to take brief notes of what is said during your time together. This will provide the basic structure and allow you to reflect on the insights that were offered later on.
Be prepared for awkward moments of silence. It is okay to not always have the air filled with words. But, at the same time, be prepared to benefit from the many thoughtful questions and observations your friends will offer.
This brief discussion isn’t intended as an endorsement of everything any particular Quaker person or group may believe. Nor is this to be taken to suggest that a quest for “inner truth” sums up the whole decision-making process. But this is one way you can begin to move beyond an excessively individualistic way of life and hopefully make better decisions.
By way of full disclosure, I have never organized or been a part of a clearness committee. But I wish I had. Looking back, this type of encouragement and support would surely have been beneficial early on.
So think about your future. Take the initiative. Do what you need to do in order to make wise decisions today.
© Career & Life Direction 2012. All rights reserved.
The gift of guidance
- At October 31, 2012
- By Nathan
- In Career & Life Planning
- 0
How could you help someone you know and love acquire a more clear sense of direction? Have you ever thought about that?
Are you looking for a way to help your son or daughter, your grandson or granddaughter, get off to a good start? Or, are you trying to simply support and encourage a friend during a time of vocational transition? Perhaps you also want to communicate that you care and want to be involved in their life.
Helping someone you love clarify their career and life direction could make a big difference. Your initiative now may benefit them in many ways down the road. But it isn’t always easy to know how go about it. And the whole process can become awkward. Soon the relationship feels strained.
Guidance that is appropriate for one person may not be as fitting for another
It is a good rule of thumb to always ask before offering? Get their input. Find out what type of assistance or involvement they would appreciate at this time. As children develop into adults, it is a good idea to increasingly do more and more asking and less and less telling. Look for a form a guidance you feel might be beneficial to them, and then ask if they are interested. Always ask.
Asking implies accepting the answer.
Even better, get to know your friend or relative. Spend time with them. And listen carefully to that they say. Encourage them to identify what they need and to communicate freely. It works best if they can take the initiative and ask you for your input or involvement. This way, they won’t feel like you are barging into their life and offering them advice they didn’t ask for and don’t need.
Acquiring a sense of direction can take time. And guidance that is appropriate for one person may not be as fitting for another. Some people need time to wander in the career and life direction wilderness for a while in order to figure things out on their own. But others likely would have benefited if more encouragement and support had been provided early on.
You will need wisdom to know when to step back and wait, and when to step up and offer to help.
Just so you know, it is possible to purchase the career planning and consulting services offered here at Career & Life Direction on behalf of another person. And here is one way of going about it:
1. Tell your friend or family member about these services.
2. Communicate what you would be happy to purchase for them – if they are interested.
3. If they are interested in exploring this online service, ask for their email address.
4. Go to the “Contact Information” page. Enter your name and email address. Communicate briefly what you would like to purchase on behalf of another person. Please include their name and email address in your note. Click “Send” at the bottom of the page.
5. Finally, go to the “Career planning and consulting” page and make your purchase.
6. Your friend or family member will then be registered in the TypeFocus program and soon receive an email telling them how to get started.
I hope that this service will help you help others.
© Career & Life Direction 2012. All rights reserved.
Robert’s life direction
- At April 30, 2012
- By Nathan
- In Meeting Needs
- 0
Purpose. Focus. Energy. Direction. People tend to pick up speed when they are moving towards a clear destination – when they are going somewhere that matters.
His household buzzes with activity as he sits down to grab a quick lunch on his front porch in Lennoxville, Quebec. It is a warm summer day. Sure enough, the phone rings. This time it is Hulio, the head soccer coach at the University of Sherbrooke and a friend. As the assistant coach of the team, Robert quickly flips into French and talks about the upcoming game against Carlton University in Ottawa.
Read More»Paying attention to your life
- At April 23, 2012
- By Nathan
- In Career & Life Planning
- 0
A brief thought on a busy day:
Many things in this world will make you feel like your life doesn’t really matter. But it does. You might not be able to see and measure the difference that you make. But you do make a difference. You will make a difference.
So pay attention to your life. Try to make the best use of your life that you possibly can. Invest it wisely. Make it count. To borrow a phrase from a video linked to the previous post, “Give us what you have got!”
With that in mind, can you think of one specific and practical step you have recently taken in order to pursue your God-given potential and become all that you were intended to be? Would you feel comfortable telling people about it here at Career & Life Direction? Why don’t you take a moment to write down what you have recently decided to do and how you think it might fit with your larger life purpose. Send it on in. Here is the magical contact form.
And here are a few bizarre examples to get you thinking:
“Moving to the moon has been a long-term dream of mine. As I write this, I am half way up Mount Everest on my quest to get a little bit closer to my desired destination. The view up here is fantastic!”
“Joining a nudist colony has always been the only thing I really wanted to do with my life. The only problem is that where I live it is way too cold. But I have just decided to completely stop walking and drive absolutely everywhere I go in an attempt to accelerate global warming. Now if only I could figure out what to do about all the mosquitoes.”
“I recently decided to go back to school. And for no reason in particular. More or less just because. You see, I got a new VISA card to add to my collection and needed to find a way to spend the money. Your website has been a true inspiration in my life. Keep up the good work.”
Your comments will, of course, be much more inspirational. Feel free to include your name, city, country, and your brief written contribution to the cause.
And you never know. You just might encourage someone else to take the next significant step in their life.
© Career & Life Direction 2012. All rights reserved.
A quest for clarity
- At March 24, 2012
- By Nathan
- In Meeting Needs
- 0
At first glance, “Raise a Little Hell” by the Canadian band Trooper has to be one of my all-time least favorite songs. And for obvious reasons, I suppose. For I am much more into heaven-raising than hell-raising.
But more than that, part of the problem with this particular song is that it is crafted well enough to have a musical hook; it seems to be designed to draw people in. Usually this is a good thing. In this case, however, once you are in, listening, alert…there doesn’t immediately appear to be much of value to hear – except the same old line over and over and over again. Which could make for a dull, boring, song.
On the surface, it is also disappointing. There is a sense of wasted potential. It could have been good. Or considerably better, anyway. A celebration song. An energetic anthem, perhaps, to liven people up and rally the troops for a worthwhile cause, etc. Or at least an inspirational beach-walking song if nothing else (e.g. “Find a pretty shell. Find a pretty shell. Find a pretty shell. Hey!”). A little on the loud side for a peaceful beach setting, but a lyrical improvement nonetheless. Anything would be, you might think. Anything except maybe “Let Viterra Sell.”
Read More»Getting advice while growing up
- At March 01, 2012
- By Nathan
- In Career & Life Planning
- 0
Thomas didn’t understand what was going on. Resistance, a feeling of resistance, was growing deep inside. But resistance to what? He didn’t know. Couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. It was almost as if a wall was being built around his identity; perhaps a boundary was being defined. Whatever it was, something had changed. As a teenager and now even more as a young adult there had been a shift in his thinking, in his feeling. Was this the beginning of a bad attitude or just part of growing up? He wasn’t sure.
Ellen felt the same way. She found herself pulling back as of late. Like a spring that was being compressed she was was getting ready. But ready for what? It was hard to say. One thing was clear though: her thoughts, her feelings, her preferences, her interests, here opinions, and her convictions were beginning to take shape. What had been presented or imposed from the outside, by others, was meeting with resistance on the inside now. Restless, she felt so restless and just wanted to get away. She needed some space to come alive, some room to breath. Why did she feel this way? Was this normal?
Read More»Setting goals
- At December 27, 2011
- By Nathan
- In Career & Life Planning
- 6
Rather than drone on about the importance of setting goals, I have decided to tell you a little about my goal-setting journey as it relates to the development of Career & Life Direction. That way, you can gain a better sense of how identifying and clarifying goals could make a difference in a variety of areas in your own life.
So, here we go. I have 3 simple goals right now for this website:
1. To improve and expand the service that I offer.
2. To increase the number of people who are interested in this service.
3. To find a way to make this service profitable.
In other words, I am trying to provide a valuable service, to a growing number of people around the world, and eventually make a living in the process.
Read More»Clarity and confusion
- At September 15, 2011
- By Nathan
- In Career Planning
- 1
As you pursue your life purpose, do not be alarmed if from time to time you feel that doing so is completely pointless. Being overwhelmed with a sense of the futility of life – that is, the apparent absurdity of what everyone who has ever lived has done, thought, or said – is actually a positive experience. For this temporary despair will allow you to break out of the mainstream secular bubble, where people pretend that meaning can be perceived without God’s perspective, and finally breathe some fresh air.
Life is meaningless from a merely human perspective and pretending otherwise is, well…just pretending. Living as if God is a million miles away from reality and yet carrying on as if this blog matters or what you plan on doing later in the day makes a bit of difference is bizarre.
Clarifying your career direction, among other things, begins with a recognition that God is the only one who really knows the full point and the purpose of your life and mine. Details will always be lacking; some confusion is to be expected. But having confidence or faith in God will empower you as you seek to gain at least a glimpse of God’s larger purpose for your life.
Armed with a sense of personal direction, you will then be able to manage your own life under God. Rather than letting other people run your life, or wandering blindly trying this and that, you will be able to make decisions more easily and move ahead. No, you will not have all the information you want, but you may find that you do have some of the core and critical information you need. If someone suggests that you really ought consider devoting the next 15 years of your life to becoming a professional polka dancer, you can refer to your mission statement and make an informed decision.
This isn’t to say that your life will now be neat and tidy or safe and secure. But now, instead of dealing day by day with colossal career confusion you can focus your energy on dealing with many other challenges that you are sure to face in your life.
© Career & Life Direction 2011. All rights reserved.
A new direction
- At January 05, 2011
- By Nathan
- In Career Planning
- 0
One main assumption at this blog, is that in order to chart a new career path you will need to get to know yourself better than you have before. This additional insight will then serve as the GPS signal that guides you towards a new destination.
Taking a trip can be a precarious experience; there is no guarantee that you will arrive safely or at all. Your odds of success improve remarkably, however, if are able to decide where you would like to attempt to go in the first place.
One way to work towards this greater self-understanding is to ask people you know how they would describe your strengths or core characteristics. Prepare to be surprised. While it is true that many times other people will not understand you, on occasion a friend may clearly see something significant you fail to perceive in yourself.
It may be something positive that could launch you in a new direction. At the same time, it could be something that amounts to unnecessary baggage in your life – something that is holding you back from fulfilling your potential.
You may discover that you have problems with your brain. The old grey matter has a way of feeding us negative messages about ourselves that are not true. A nasty comment was made way back in your childhood, and your brain just plays it over and over and over again – for the next twenty years.
Clearly identifying a marketable skill may allow you to step on the gas, as it were, and move towards a tangible career goal. At the same time, getting rid of the inner baggage in your life could amount to taking both of your feet off of the brake.
© Career & Life Direction 2011. All rights reserved.