Without a Mission Statement for your life and your career, you are traveling without a plan or a ruler to measure your choices by. You may not even know what you "really" want. What is your mission - what is your purpose? Spending the time to get total clarity around this and to create a Mission Statement that excites and empowers you, is one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself.

When I created my first Mission Statement, it changed my life. From the outside looking in, I had a great life. I had a six figure income in the technology industry, was married to a wonderful man, lived in a beautiful home, and had all the "right stuff." That being said, I was dying inside. I had created the life I thought I was "supposed to have," but it was a life that was slowly killing my spirit. I knew I wasn't happy, but I didn't know what I "really" wanted or what to do about it. I met with several career counselors and took a number of assessments, which confirmed what I was feeling - I was in the wrong career and I didn't feel passionate about what I was doing, in either my personal or professional lives. It was great to get this outside confirmation about what I was feeling, but I was still no closer to knowing what I did want or how to figure it out.

Have you ever felt this way? You know you aren't happy, but don't know what to do about it. You have been busy and operating on auto-pilot for so long, that you may have actually lost touch with who you are. You have been focused on doing the "right" thing or taking care of others for so long, that now you feel lost about what you want. You may have some hobbies or things you enjoy doing, but you could never make enough money doing those for a living - could you?

These thoughts and feelings are very common. The first and most important thing to understand is that "there is nothing wrong with you for feeling this way!" All you need is some guidance and some time to connect with what is really important to you. Once you have a clear sense of purpose and have put your Mission Statement together, you will have a sense of direction and clarity about which direction to go in. It is all about making "conscious choices." If your choices honor your mission and take you forward toward honoring it, they are things you should consider. If they do not, you can move on to finding something that will honor your purpose. It becomes very simple.

Here are a few things to consider:

• People cannot define their purpose until they really get to know themselves. Your purpose comes from your heart.
• Your mission is not your job - it is bigger than that. Your job can be one way of honoring your mission, but most people have four to five different careers in their lifetime. Knowing your purpose can help you to make your career choices wisely. If you lose a job or decide it is time to move on, you aren't losing your sense of purpose.
• Your role is not your mission. Being a mother, a wife, or a daughter can be completely engaging, but if you lose your role through divorce, death, or reaching an empty nest, you can risk having an identity crisis if your role was your mission. Your mission is larger than this.
• You are never too old to figure out your mission. Our lives have many chapters in them, and each one is just as important to live on purpose as the others. You are worth knowing what your mission is!

I have been leading a teleclass for WITI for several years now, called "Exploring Your Life's Mission." If you would like to take the next step in creating a Mission Statement for your life and career, consider joining me in one of the upcoming classes. They are held over the phone, so you can attend from anywhere.

For more information, go to: www.witi.com/teleclass

What is my mission? It is to:

"Help people to connect with their life's purpose and to live lives that honor it"

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