Setting personal long-term goals and pursuing a personal mission are worlds apart.
Whereas goals are specific, measurable, and outcome-focused, a mission defines the core purpose that remains unchanging and always present.
Think of a mission as the reason for existence and goals as targets to achieve.
Most leaders are quick to establish and articulate long-range goals for themselves and for the organization. But aside from a “mission statement,” fewer leaders take the time to think about and commit to a personal mission.
When they do, everything changes.
A personal mission is a guide that clarifies what matters most. It provides a direction and focus that serves as a north star, helping leaders to decide what to move toward and what to move away from.
With a clear mission, it is easier to filter out distractions and concentrate energy on what truly aligns with the highest value.
Having a personal mission helps to ensure that long-term goals don’t compete or contradict each other. It keeps a leader’s actions and ambitions integrated and authentic.
Best of all, a personal mission inspires leaders to find the energy and discipline to do the things they might otherwise avoid or sidestep.
A leader might have a personal mission such as “To continually learn, grow, and use my experience to help others reach their full potential.”
Or “To live with compassion, serve others selflessly, and make a positive difference in the lives of those around me.”
Or “To prioritize my physical and mental health and to motivate others to lead healthy, balanced lives by my example.”
Personal missions and the statements that encapsulate them come in all shapes and sizes. What they have in common is articulations of the lifelong purpose a leader wants to live by.
Just the act of crafting such a statement usually has a profound effect on leaders. And the best ones view their mission statements every day as a reminder of what matters most to them and what they want to hold themselves accountable to.
What is your personal mission? Do you have one? Can you quickly articulate it in your inner voice?
Taking the time to think deeply about what your life’s purpose is (aside from your family) is a worthwhile exercise. Once one exists, you become a missionary to your purpose. That means you are in the stubborn pursuit of fulfilling your mission every day.
With a focus like that, you can achieve any old long-range goal.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
