Want to move mountains? Have a primary purpose By Carole Kanchier, Contributor Burt decided to make a career change. He identified his mission and other personal qualities, researched and narrowed compatible options, then developed a plan to achieve his goals. Within four months, he accepted the chief executive officer position of a large food processing company. Shirley allows most activities to distract her. She has no mission, and although she thinks she wants to work in the biomedical field, she hasn't researched available positions. She applies for biomedical positions, but doesn't target her resume to any. Shirley doesn't have a job. Who do you resemble? To have a satisfying and successful career, you must take control. You need to empower yourself. You need focus and direction. Sticking with your mission Define your mission With a mission, you have a step-by-step design; without a mission, you live by default. Your mission is your compass heading. It keeps you on the right path and aligns your activities when you get off track. It's the driving force in your life the reason you wake up in the morning. Can you clearly define and articulate the overall purpose you want to fulfil in your life? Can you write a mission statement describing your purpose? Does your career goal reflect your mission? Burt's mission is to build things and help them grow. To identify his mission, Burt looked for themes that emerged from the following: his strengths and accomplishments, what he wanted his colleagues and friends to say about his contributions, how he would occupy his time if he was a billionaire, the activities that absorbed him as a young child and a recurring goal. What are your main themes? What kind of person do you want to be five years from now? What do you want to be doing? What skills, interests and needs do you want to use? Burt loves using problem-solving, decision-making and mentoring skills. He needs challenge, autonomy, a sense of accomplishment, and opportunities to develop personally and professionally. His likes managing people and finances as well as marketing and sales. Next, brainstorm several kinds of jobs, which will enable you to express yourself in work. Then, explore at least three. Burt explored opportunities in general management, finance and management consulting. Set long and short-term goals Once you know where you're headed, you can outline your goals and time-line, then develop a plan and make a focused effort to attain your goal. Having a plan will not only help you get the right job, it will also enhance your performance. If you set a challenging goal, you'll exert a high level of effort toward that goal. Mastering each task will push you to newer levels of competence increasing your satisfaction, self-confidence and involvement. You'll want to set more difficult goals. You'll feel "turned on" by your work. State your goal in the present. Be specific and use concrete, positive terms. Because this gives direction to your subconscious your brain will find ways to get more creative. You'll identify strategies that will move you forward. Now break the goal down into small steps, working backward from your goal and achievement date. What will you need to do by the end of this year, by the end of the month, and by the end of today to realise your goal? Transfer the action steps onto your daily calendar. Track your progress, and regularly reappraise your goals and plans. Modify these as circumstances change. Your goal and plans should flow from your mission, and your daily activities should be guided by these. Everything you do should fulfil your mission. Stay on track Don't let obstacles get you down. Continue to focus on your mission and goals. Base all decisions on the overall direction you want your life to go. This will enable you to stay on track. Momentum will build. You'll become unstoppable. When you follow your mission, you have the power to reap the rewards of a more purposeful personal and professional life. You'll have less stress, greater meaning and direction, and higher levels of energy, enthusiasm and confidence. You'll be a better decision maker. Carole Kanchier/WorldWide Media.
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