Do you feel like your life has a point? One of the main reasons why people feel depressed and unhappy is that they feel like their lives don't have any purpose or direction. Luckily, it's easy to give your life direction and meaning. All you have to do is find something to live for.
Even if you aren't sad and depressed, figuring out what you want out of life can help. You can do and be more if you know who you are and what you want out of life. Also, it can help you make better choices every day.
It may take some time and thought to figure out what your purpose is, because what you are doing is very important and has a lot of meaning. You will write down your own mission statement. Nothing is more important than that mission statement, because it will define what you do and who you are in the end. Try to give yourself several hours to work on this task. If you don't have a big chunk of time, you can set aside smaller chunks of time and do these five steps one by one.
First, look back.
Think about the best and most successful parts of your past. Make a list of everything you're proud of and everything you've done well. Spend some time just thinking about your childhood, school years, and other parts of your life so you can make a list that is as complete as possible. Do you see any patterns in these things that people have done well?
Step Two: Look Inside
Make a list of the good things that people say about you, like how hard you work, how creative you are, how passionate you are, or how determined you are. Then make a list of words or things you use to describe yourself. What skills and gifts do you have? Make sure to write down the ones you don't use yet as well as the ones you already make and use. After going through and comparing these lists, make a list of your top five or six core values.
Step 3: Check out your dreams.
Now is the time to let your mind wander. How could you help the world, your family, your job, your friends, and your community if you didn't have to worry about time or money? What are you interested in? What moves you, gets you excited, or makes you mad?
Step 4: Look forward
Review the notes you made in Steps 1, 2, and 3 and figure out what your top goals and priorities are. Write these down and then number them in order of how important they are.
Step 5: Figure out what you want to do.
There can be three parts to your mission statement. The highest level should be a simple, one-sentence action statement that becomes your personal mission or vision. Just finish this sentence: The goal of my job is to...
For example, "My personal mission or vision is to care for, teach, and encourage enlightenment to help people grow."
The second level can be a statement of your professional goals. Some people might decide they don't need a separate statement of their professional goals. I don't because, as a teacher and writer, I feel that my professional mission is the same as my personal mission as a mother, wife, friend, and community activist.
The third level is a longer, more detailed explanation of what your mission or vision is.
One example is "I chose the action verbs care for, teach, and excite because I think
at my core, I am a caretaker. That's why I write, why I garden, why I teach, and why my family is so important to me. I love taking a small idea, a tiny seed, or an eager mind and helping it grow and reach for new possibilities. I don't think it's a big stretch for someone who cares for people to also teach them. I have always been a student. When I learn something new about the world or the people, animals, or plants that live in it, I can't wait to share it through my writing or in a classroom, in the hopes that it will help others learn and grow as well. Lastly, and this may be the most important point, growth doesn't have to be a passive, boring process. It can be fun and useful. I think real learning and growth can only happen when the experience is interesting. I chose enlightenment because I can't think of a better gift to give to the world or to yourself than to be wise. I know that none of the articles or stories I've written in my life have been enlightening, but in the last few years I've been trying to change that. It doesn't have to be a big lightbulb moment. Sometimes small rays of light can have a big impact on someone else, and that's what I hope to give. And finally, human development, because I can't think of a field with more effects than this one. I am a firm believer that we should spend our whole lives getting better and that we should all do what we can to help others do the same. If we don't keep getting better as people, as a society, and as a world, we can't even hope to stay alive, let alone do well ".
My life did change after I made my own personal mission statement. It helped me change careers, start my own business, and make important decisions about my work and personal life. Having a mission statement and a vision for the future has helped me give my life direction and purpose, which has made me much happier. Why don't you just try it out?
