Mission & Vision - How

I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of Eric Booth last week and was inspired to write my own Mission and Vision statements. During the session, Eric asked the fellows to write a note (like a valentine) to another fellow, sharing one or two ideas for that person to consider when writing these statements. At first people were shy and didn't want to participate, but once each fellow got a note from someone else, everyone started to have a good time. It gave me an idea.

I emailed several friends and asked them "What do you think of when you think of my career? What should I be thinking about? What have I spoken passionately about? What have I forgotten?" The response was amazing.

Everyone thought it was a great idea. They applauded me for reaching out and asking. Some of my friends who know me personally - their responses came quickly. Others, who I know from work, wanted to take time to think it over, since they have seen in a variety of jobs, doing all sorts of things. No two responses were the same. And yet, they all reminded me of who I am and what I want out of life. The whole process reaffirmed that I am doing exactly what I should be doing right now. 

I may not have it all figured out. I won't be making any major life changes in the near future. I am slowly returning to a place where I feel good about my life and comfortable in knowing that I am exactly where I am meant to be. When I have time to cook good foods for my family. When I have a chance to walk a few extra blocks to go to the vegetable stand (and eating 16Handles for lunch on that very same walk). When I have friends over for dinner, and I don't stress about the state of the apartment (they will love me whether or not every toy is put away). When I have time to write and think. And yes, when I know that I will most likely miss another day of work because my daughter is sick. 

Part of my mission is to share my story. This blog is how I plan to do it.

Mission & Vision - Why?

Every organization has a mission. In my work, we encourage the artists in the program to create their own Mission and Vision statements. Each year I am reminded that I should work on one. And most years, I start, but never really finish. 

Until now...

Last week while Eric Booth was guiding the fellows on their journey towards personal Mission and Vision statements, I was frantically trying to write my own. Or more accurately, trying to find words and phrases that would help me write my own. What is it that I want to accomplish in my life? How am I going to accomplish it? And I turned back to a document I started in August 2010 - Thoughts for a Future CIA Agent.

2010 was a crazy year for me. It started with a trip to the Pacific Northwest and my first trip to the Vancouver Olympics. (If you love sports, and even if you don't, if you get the chance to go to the Olympics, go. It's an amazing energy.) I spent most of the year working on being published in a book - 20under40. I was planning a fabulous wedding. I was a bit unhappy in my work at the time, but I knew that it would get better. I got married (a few pictures) and went away on the honeymoon. When I returned to work, everything changed. 

My direct supervisor had announced her decision to leave for a great gig in Washington, D.C. Thinking that this was a chance to move ahead in my career, I went to talk to my director about the possible promotion. A few days later, each of us was called into the office and given our new job. That's right - out of nowhere, the department was reorganized and there was nothing we could do. I was the last to be called in. My job had already been assigned to someone else. I was being moved back to my old position, as an assistant, with a better title (so it technically wasn't a demotion). That was when the depression set in.

My boss, who knew I was upset by the move, asked me to think about what I wanted. Where I wanted to be in 5 years, 10 years, etc. So I started to write Thoughts for a Future CIA Agent, because at that point, I basically wanted to throw away my career and join the CIA. Be a spy. Get out of NYC. Anything to deal with the pain of being played like a pawn and having no say in my position at the office.

As I reread the document, I realized how similarly I feel these days. 2012 was a big year. New job, baby born in June, spending the entire summer with my husband and daughter, sleeping in and hanging out (watching the Olympics of course) and then going back to work. I admit, I was excited to go back to work. But the reality of working full time with a very young child who is in day care started to get me down. It wasn't surprising that I was scrambling to write my own mission. Here I am 3 years later feeling that  everything is upside down and inside out and just plain messed up.

What is my mission? What is my vision? At the moment it's this - 

My mission is to help people become the best that they can be and to be exactly who they are meant to be. To help people get there, I will share knowledge, inspirational materials and stories by writing a blog and starting a group for friends who are interested in making a change in their lives by actively living and reflecting.

Through this process, I am committing to my own journey. It's my next big adventure.