Do you have a personal/professional Mission Statement? I am a big planner, so it is easy to go through the written record of my life, identify and articulate my Mission Statement. I have short-term daily and weekly plans, as well as long-term annual, five and 10-year plans, and everything in between. I also am a long-time journaler, which is no surprise since I love writing. I was an early blogger. I created my first blog in 2004-2005 around my dreams, resolutions and daily goals. And for nearly three decades I have been journaling about my dreams, resolutions and daily goals the old-fashioned way in spiral notebooks, formal bound journals, on wall calendars, daily planners that serve as both journal and calendar.
Bottom Line: I love writing things down, making lists, and turning my 'To Do List' into a 'Ta Da List' and it does pay off. I make these points because there are two big benefits to my simple strategy to chronicle my life that could help you if you want to craft your own Mission Statement: Writing things down helps to crystallize intentions and makes it easy to track progress. When I sift through these voluminous 'life diaries', my Mission Statement leaps from the pages. My work is intertwined seamlessly with my personal life because it was my intention to make it a labor of love. My accomplishments are in black and white, so that I can remind myself of how much I have achieved and play to my strengths: I have earned college degrees, bought homes, built a business that I love, stopped smoking, maintained a lifelong exercise regimen, and made good health a priority. I have also had my share of failures, but have tried to learn my lessons and move forward, doing better the next time.
My personal-professional Mission Statement is: I intend to live a purpose-driven life by doing what I love and loving what I do via small daily steps each and every day, creatively, patiently, passionately, persistently, and joyfully with hope, gratitude, and an open-curious-mind. I am a Resolutionista! I make resolutions, keep resolutions and enjoy the journey!
With that in mind, each and every day, I intend to 'Pursue My Own Unique Journey Filled With Purpose, Achievement And Reward', as part of my I Resolve To . . . Challenge: 365 Resolutions For Health & Happiness. Why not join me? The objective is very simple: Do at least one thing each and every day to promote health and happiness for 'YOU'. Banish the 'Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome'. Instead, make every day New Year's Day. Make every day count with 'daily resolves'. The list of possibilities is infinite and can be tailored to your own dreams, resolutions and daily goals. If you need some help - a little nudge, a bit of inspiration, tips, advice, and news about the best ways to make resolutions a reality - please use IResolveTo.Com as one of your resources. Resolve365 in 2009.
I firmly believe everyone should lead a purpose-driven life because it enables you to inject your days with activities that you passionately enjoy. Even if you can't pursue your passions full-time, you can schedule them into your life. If you want to be a writer, write! If you want to be a photographer, take that first small step toward mastering your craft. If you want to build your own business, keep your day job and build it part-time on the side until you can make it a full-time gig. One important, simple step toward achieving dreams is to formulate your own Mission Statement and take daily action via small steps.
Dan Buettner, the author of Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From the People Who've Lived Longest, suggests crafting a Mission Statement. I currently am reading Blue Zones and find it fascinating because it focuses on communities where people have lived the longest and the elements that have contributed to their longevity. I am struck by the simplicity and common sense that surrounds many of the suggested tips for living long lives: Drink water, exercise, eat vegetables and nuts, limit meat consumption, exercise, meditate, and put family first. It is a wonderful book that promotes simple, common sense daily steps that we have heard a zillion times before and should take to heart if we want to be healthy and happy for the long haul. Personally, I have long taken many of the suggested steps to heart and write about them daily at I Resolve To . . . They are daily reminders help to maintain focus on what is important and 'what you focus and act on' is what you achieve!
If you are interested in following one of the Blue Zone suggestions - craft a Mission Statement - here are simple steps that I have used during the past 30 years to clarify what matters most in my life and to formulate my own Mission Statements:
Write all of this down in your notebook, keep it safe and update it often. I have notebooks from the past three decades that answer these questions in a variety of ways and I am able to page through them today and see clearly what I have achieved and what I still 'want to achieve'. Some of my 'desires and intentions' have changed over the years, but my main passions - creativity, writing, photography, health, happiness, gratitude/giving back, family/friends, hard work, and the glow of a job well done - have remained constant. They are tapestry that is my life and I am proud of that tapestry!
Remember: I Resolve To . . . Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year. It's your choice. Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps: Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good! Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey! Let's Go For It!
Need More Inspiration? Wear Your Resolution By Visiting The I Resolve To . . . Shop At CafePress: I Resolve To . . . Resolutionista Gear And By Joining The Official I Resolve To . . . Group At Gather.Com.
Kim M. Simpson - August 18, 2009
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