Moving From Where You Are To Where You Need To Be

Almost everyone dreams of a better life or version of ourselves. We can see ourselves in houses we see in magazines and the television, we see ourselves having happy families, businesses, or good jobs. But, unfortunately for some people, these things will just remain what they are; dreams. Not all of us get to make our dreams come true even though we all have to potential and ability to. Why is that? It is because dreaming is easy. The challenge is with making the dreams a reality.

 

Moving from dreaming to living the dream requires so much from us. Sometimes we overthink it though. The world seems to believe that success only comes when we suffer and spend sleepless nights. Many success stories have that part. However, sometimes all we need to do is plan well, work smart, get enough rest, and stay healthy. We can follow these everyday steps to move from where we are to where we need to be: 

 

1.  Prioritize your mental health – you can have all the good plans in place but if you have mental health issues, your journey from where you are to where you need to be will be more than just a struggle. It is, therefore, necessary for you to wake up and remind yourself that you have and are all it takes to get where you need to be. This will require you to keep away from negative people or anything that makes you doubt your capabilities. 

 

2.  Be grateful for what you already have – gratitude is one way to keep us in a good mood and get motivation. Counting your blessings gives you the hope that you do stand a chance to get the things that you still dream of. Gratitude also shifts our focus from negative things which helps clear our minds and enables us to see things from a different point of view. 

 

3.  Remind yourself why you chose the path that you are walking – sometimes all you need to do to get yourself motivated is to remind yourself why you chose to be the person you are or want to be. Where you were starting to feel like giving up everything, this helps you find yourself back to your feet again. The thought of what you lose by allowing yourself to give up and be something else will not give you peace. You are then left with no choice but to soldier on.

 

4.  Revisit your set of principles and boundaries when you need to make a decision – when we keep our principles and boundaries in mind as we make decisions, we remind ourselves why other choices may never work for us.

 

5.  Do what you have to do – strategies do not implement themselves. Get up and work. Laziness is what fails most people. Good people with good plans included. Make it a point that you fight the spirit of laziness with all you have else your goals will be nothing but dreams.

 

6.  Get enough rest – one of the mistakes that we make is overworking. Learn the difference between working hard and overworking yourself. Yes, you can make more money and gain more experience when you overwork but you need to listen when your body starts screaming for help. Exhaustion can affect us mentally and physically. We might end up having to pay hospital bills with the hard-earned money instead of just enjoying it and investing in who we want to be. When we are well-rested we also function better. 

 

7.  Do not envy – there is so much that we see around us which appears like ‘good life’. Well, we will not bother to talk about whether it is real or not. The point is, real or not, it is not your race. Protect yourself from unnecessary heartache and feeling like a failure by staying in your lane.

 

8.  Trust the process and be easy on yourself – we do get moments where we feel as if our dreams are taking too long and we start doubting if they will ever come true. Be patient and remind yourself that you haven't failed yet. Life is not just about that one dream. We will always have things to work on. This includes character development and gaining work experience among other things. Find something to keep yourself occupied and growing as you wait for the 'bigger' part of your dream to start moving.

 

9.  Build or strengthen your connections – be it socially or in the workplace, we need people we can rely on when things are tough or we are discouraged. Make it a point to build and maintain good relationships who understand and believe in your dreams so that you can get the help you need when things get hard. Remember to not step on people on your way up. You might need them on your way down.

 

Own Your Life

So often people choose to settle for what’s safer and what’s more comfortable. They let life happen to them other than actually creating the life that they want for themselves. They paralyze themselves in safe places, living according to other people’s opinions and dreams. The safer choice is taking a traditional job in a billionaire’s company. That job which will take 40 years of your life, living paycheck after paycheck. You neither have enough money to take a vacation nor have free time to enjoy those few earnings you’ve made from the job. The comfortable choice is not having something to believe in. You waste time going after one doctrine after the other. You let your circumstances define you and simply life happens to you. This is called survival.

 

Living on the other hand focuses on the total opposite. When you’re living intentionally you have a set purpose to life. You own your life. You focus on doing things, on growing and achieving. While surviving centers around getting to the next day, living centers around the life and how to embrace life to the fullest. You’re aware of your health so you monitor what you eat, you exercise, and you go for regular medical checkups. You don’t let life happen to you as the survivor. You live life with a set of intent. Every financial choice you make is intentionally aligning towards gaining financial freedom or independence. You acknowledge what you’re passionate about and you take small consistent deliberate actions to fulfill your passion. This is owning your life. Actively participating in creating the life you want for yourself and the people in your life. That’s the power of intention.

 

The first step to owning your life is taking responsibility for the decisions you make and for your actions. We are the architects of our lives. Our lives are made up of a series of small and big choices that we make each day. When you don’t make the choice for yourself, it is made for you. The fundamentals of this journey are firstly finding your true identity. When you have understood your truth and sense of self, you then set your intent for your life. What you aspire to achieve. Your goals, dreams, or ambition. The last step is taking big or small purposeful steps towards fulfilling that purpose.

 

Everyone loves a good rag to the riches success story. One of my favorites is the life story of Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother. She was raised on a farm by her grandmother for the first 6 years of her life. Her grandmother was so poor that Oprah often wore dresses made of potato sacks and other children made fun of her. She has stated that she was molested during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant at 14. Sadly, she lost her son and she was moved to Tennessee. Even at a very tender young age, she envisioned a much better life for herself. She got a job in radio at 16 whilst she was still in high school. At 19 she was hired on television as a co-anchor for the local evening news. She did not know how to write or act but deep inside she says she knew what she wanted to become, an actress. That was her truth.

 

When Oprah was 22 years old, she was making $22 000 a year. A lot of people were telling her that that was the best it could get. But even though she was doing well, she knew she could do better. In one of her many inspirational quotes, Oprah said,’ Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself’’. This is exactly what she went on to do, honoring her truth. When the opportunities were presented to her, she was ready and prepared to pursue her inner calling. Today we talk of Oprah Winfrey dubbed the queen of all media. She not only became an actress but also a talk show host, television producer, media executive, and philanthropist.

 

Your success is a result of owning your life. You should not allow your background or any sorts of limitations to stop you from following your truth, purpose, and intention. Refuse to be defined by the box that people put around you and fight any fear that may come your way. And finally, be prepared when the opportunity door is opened.

Self-Discovery: Figure Out Who You Are

One of my favorite professors back in university taught us an easy concept to learning something new, which became a life lesson to me. He described this as an important way to gather up all the important facts based on research work or learning in general. He said, “Whenever you came about a new lesson or concept to learn, make it your aim to be able to answer seven key questions concerning that topic”. It’s called the 5W2H principle. The key questions to ask are Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, and/or How much? I’ve put this simple principle in my day-to-day routines and whenever I come across some decision making, and this has helped me tremendously. In my journey in self-discovery, asking myself these key questions also helped me understand myself even better. Before we get to finding a purpose to live and living it intentionally, we should be able to give ourselves an identity first. Knowing who we are is a journey that requires a deep inlook into one’s life. Self-searching, self-questioning, and self-reflecting on our personalities, emotions, and lifestyle.

 

Who am I?

 

This journey of self-discovery begins by asking yourself this question. Who am I? Your name is your title but that is not your true identity. Your true identification lies in what you believe in and who you choose to become. The world we live in now has blurred the lines to self-identity and now encourages people to identify themselves however they wish to. Your identity is a choice that you make for yourself. People around you and your background may try and label you but what truly matters is who you choose to identify yourself as. A hundred people calling you poor when you have a million dollars hidden in your account does not make you a poor man. Waking up each day calling yourself a poor man and choosing to be lazy and not be productive will make you a poor man. That identity will stick to you because you accepted it and made it who you are. 

 

What defines me?

 

What is important to you? What are your values and needs? What thoughts and feelings do you stand by and are worth protecting? What you believe and fight for is who you are. Acknowledging your interests, your dreams, and ambitions is another crucial step in your journey to self-discovery. Our lives are driven by having a purpose. You cannot have direction in your life if you do not know what exactly you’re aiming for. Self-knowledge and self-appraisal are what pre-selects the values that make you who you are. Discover hobbies and traditions that stand out to you. The only way to know what gives you personal satisfaction and makes you happy is to try out new activities. You really never know what you like till you’ve tried it.

 

Where am I positioned in life?

 

Where you position yourself, the people you allow into your personal space, your colleagues and friends, and the places you choose to hang out in all influence who you are or who you’ll become. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch they say. The bad apple, the influencer, is someone who has made a distinctive identity of himself or herself. Even a dog raised by a pack of wolves does not make it become a wolf. Nobody can wrongly influence you if you stay true to your true self. Who you are and what’s important to you. Surround yourself with people that nurture the person you want to become. People that build your ambitions and goals and those that promote your intended lifestyle. 

 

When do I get to where I’m going?

 

Every goal, ambition or dream needs a time factor set to accomplish it. Where do you see yourself spiritually, intellectually, or financially being a week, month, or years from now? That big picture, when you’ve finally achieved those big goals, begins with making small intentional decisions. Making small purposeful acts one after the other, one day at a time. Once you’ve discovered where you want to be in your life, you set a time frame when you want to see yourself there. Knowing yourself, and staying true to yourself helps you in making attainable goals. When the goals are too demanding and time-consuming you might lose yourself to frustrations, anxiety, and depression. 

 

One of the important lessons I was taught growing up is how to celebrate the small progressions I make in my life. Firstly, I learned to separate my short term from my long-term goals. As I was achieving my short-term goals it gave me a drive and encouragement to keep pursuing all the other goals I had set for myself. It reminded me that I was perfectly capable of attaining what I was setting my mind on. I wasn’t focusing on the negative energies, what I was missing, or why it was taking long. I focused on what went right and how to make my next step forward. My journey continues, and this lesson proves to have made me a better version of myself.

 

Why am I alive today?

 

Why do you wake up every day and do what you do? Why do you push yourself to go to the gym every other day and eat healthily? Why do you keep disciplining yourself to stay on budget? How much are you willing to give to obtain your inner peace and happiness, and to experience the wholeness of who you are? The reason lies in understanding your life’s purpose. Those central motivating aims of your life guide your life decisions, influences your behavior, shapes your goals, and offer a wide sense of direction thus creating meaning to your life. What defines who you are is what you live for, your soulful purpose to life.

 

Sticking To Your Beliefs Even When It’s Hard

We all have beliefs or perceived truths that we hold dear to us. These truths shape our perceptions or our view of the world and make us who we are. They guide us in decision making, interactions, and determine our way of life. However, beliefs can be either true or false, good or bad, and positive or negative. False beliefs, for example, are those perceived truths that are drawn from a misinterpretation or misunderstanding of life events or phenomena. In some instances, our beliefs change as we mingle with people of different views and as we experience new or different things in life.

 

Our focus, for now, will be on sticking to our beliefs even when it is hard. Needless to say, this applies to those who hold good and/or positive beliefs. Beliefs can be deemed good if they cause us, above everything else, to value others and, they allow us to find our purpose and live according to it. Positive beliefs are those beliefs that empower us and make us feel good about ourselves without having to esteem ourselves of better value than others. The emphasis on the different types of beliefs is based on the fact that sometimes our beliefs can cause us to do unimaginable things to ourselves or others, and this indicates a need to reconsider our way of life. Cliff Young’s story is a good example of how sticking to beliefs impacts our lives and sometimes, the lives of others too.

 

In 1983, Cliff Young who was 61 years old at the time, joined the Sydney to Melbourne race snakes covering a distance of almost 550 miles and takes about a week to finish. To everyone’s shock, this old man with little competitive experience wore overalls and work boots to an event where he was to compete fit runners in their prime. Many thought he wouldn’t last and some, fearing for his health, called for him to be banned from partaking. But he had other plans, he believed with his heart and mind that he could run and complete the race. He didn’t have any self-limiting beliefs. When the race started, nobody was surprised to see Cliff immediately falling behind. However, halfway through the first day, Cliff overtook all the season runners and took the lead. Instead of stopping to sleep for the night, cliff continued to run while the other runners slept. When everyone woke up the following morning, Cliff had built an incredible lead. He set history by winning the race with a 10-hour margin!

 

The first lesson we can pick from Cliff’s story is that in some cases, we will face opposition and discouragement from people who may think that our dreams are impossible to achieve. He chose to stick to his belief that his background and strategy were enough to help him finish the race. What made him achieve the unexpected was that everyone doubted him and consequently, did not see his victory coming. Had they paid attention to him and expected him to do much, they would have tried his strategy too. Belief and confidence give us the strength to reach our goals, and in some cases, influence the world in the same way Cliff did.

 

Through sticking to our beliefs even when they are seemingly less likely to lead us to victory, we have a chance to change the perceptions of our critics as well as those who chose not to pay attention to us. If you stay true to your beliefs, you can still start that businesspeople thought was a silly idea and have relationships people thought are just a fairytale. Thus, sticking to your beliefs even when it is hard can lead you to a victory that can change your world.

 

Sticking to beliefs also boosts one's confidence. As you experience the joy of achievements resulting from one of your beliefs, your other beliefs will be affirmed. You will get the feeling that your beliefs are valid and you are headed in the right direction. As you remember what you achieved when no one else thought your way of life was what you needed to succeed, you get the understanding that your beliefs and mental state matter more than external influence. 

 

Further, beliefs help us cope with life. As we remember why we started believing in the first place, we get the strength to keep going and we are also reminded of why we cannot choose anything else. In that regard, sticking to our beliefs keeps us focused. And, not only do we stay focused but, we are also motivated to do more. Sticking to our beliefs when things are hard and we are tempted to try a different way of life protects us from making decisions we are likely to regret in the future and giving room to things that are against our values.

Understand The Significance Of Intentional Living In Achieving Your Goals

Intentional living enables you to achieve your goals by ensuring every choice you make and every step you take is in line with your end goal. Understanding the significance of intentional actions as well as intentional choices in accomplishing anything worthwhile and in improving your overall life will motivate you to continue working on your goals. It will strengthen your faith in your abilities, build your self-confidence, help you progress, and cause you to see that any goal you set is attainable.

 

5 Ways Intentional Living Helps You Achieve Your Goals.

 

1. Intentional living teaches you to take deliberate action. 

 

Intentional people recognize that the key to achieving any goal is taking deliberate action, having deliberate thoughts, making deliberate choices, as well as being deliberate when setting your goals. For instance, if you want to lose 80 pounds this year, you set daily, weekly, as well as monthly goals that will guide you in that direction and get you where you need to be. You break down 80 pounds into daily or weekly manageable targets. For example, aim to lose 5 or 10 pounds a week. 

 

Take deliberate action by taking the stairs, going to the gym, picking up an exercising routine, cutting off fatty foods from your diet, substituting fizzy drinks with plenty of water, avoiding fast-foods, and taking packed lunch to work. Deliberate goals encourage deliberate action, guide you in the right direction, and enable you to get what you desire. 

 

2. It strengthens your belief system. 

 

Living intentionally encourages you to stand by your values or beliefs and increases your faith in what you believe in. It reminds you that your life is your own, it’s important, and you don’t have to compare it to anyone else’s. Living with intention means you are not controlled by your environment or circumstances. You live by what’s inside you and your life is directed by what you believe in which empowers you to reach for your dreams.

 

3. It keeps your eyes on the bigger picture. 

 

“Which areas need improvement?” “Where can I improve?” are intentional questions you need to ask yourself time and again but most importantly after a failure. That is because they remind you that reaching your aims requires constant growth and improvement and that failing today doesn’t mean you have reached the end of your journey. 

 

The best way of accomplishing each goal you set is by keeping your eyes on the bigger picture and you can only do that by learning to live with intention. Let “Where am I going?” and “What do I intend to accomplish?” guide you whenever you fall. 

 

4. Intentional living emphasizes on your capabilities.

 

Knowing your skillset or what you are good at keeps your mind from straying or going with what seems “attractive” at the moment. It helps you realize your purpose, your worth, what you are meant to be, and focuses your attention on what you can do to begin reaching your goals. Living with intention makes you realize that you have what it takes to get what you are aiming for because each step you take is an intentional one.

 

5. It helps you make smart decisions that will benefit you in the long run.

 

“Will this help me to get a step closer to or further away from my goal?” is the most important question you need to ask yourself each time you are about to make a decision. This is because there are some choices you make, some steps you take, and certain things you commit to that can delay your journey to success or hurt your goal. So, let that question guide you when deciding on what to do next. 

 

Intentional people ask intentional questions which are the key to making smart and informed decisions. So, train your mind to constantly come up with deliberate questions that play a significant role in making intelligent decisions and in moving forward. If taking that next step aligns with your goal, don’t hesitate to take it. If it has nothing to do with what you are aiming for, don’t take the step because it will only delay your progress.

 

Being intentional in all things keeps you ahead of everything else. It gives you the strength to keep working, continue trying, keep believing, and never allow anything to stop you from going after what you want. This is because an intentional life is a life that is focused on what you believe in, who you see yourself becoming, what you are meant to achieve, who you are meant to be, as well as where you are going, not where you currently are. 

 

So, be deliberate when setting goals because being deliberate is important for the attainment of your goals.

6 Reasons Why You Need A WHY Statement

Most people do not know what their true calling in life is. Some people just don’t care about this and are happy to be a drifter in life and just “go with the flow”. Others do care about it but have problems with identifying their real purpose in life. So here will show you 6 reasons why you absolutely must create a WHY statement.

 

1. It will provide clarity about what your purpose in life is.

 

If you don’t know your true life’s purpose then you will end up doing things that you really don’t want to do. There are so many people working jobs that they hate just to pay the bills. They dread Monday mornings and always feel apprehensive on Sunday nights. This is no way to live your life.

 

When you know what your true purpose is in life you can take action to achieve this. You will have more confidence and can get a job that will align with your purpose. You will have more energy and be motivated every day.

 

2. A WHY Statement Sharpens your Focus

 

Without the right focus in your life, it is easy to set goals that you are not truly committed to. A lot of people follow their friends and other influencers in their life and end up setting the same goals as them. We are all different and this rarely works out well.

 

When you identify what you really want your life to be about this clarity helps you to work out your next moves a lot more easily. You can use your WHY statement to drive you forward each day and achieve what you really want from your life.

 

3. You will make the Right Decisions

 

Have you ever made wrong decisions in your life? Of course, you have we have all done that. When you have a strong and compelling WHY statement it will help you to make much better decisions in life.

 

A lot of decisions have serious consequences and if you don’t know your true purpose then you can dismiss these consequences in exchange for short term pleasure or gain. With a good WHY statement you will assess the long-term consequences and be able to make better decisions.

 

4. It Provides more Accountability

 

People that have no purpose in life tend to shy away from accountability. They are just happy to drift along but then complain bitterly when things go against them. It is never their fault of course and always someone else’s.

 

With a powerful WHY statement you will know where you are going in life and be accountable for this. You will think things through more and only take action where it aligns with your WHY statement. This additional accountability will make you a better person.

 

5. You will be Healthier and Happier

 

If you only want to consider one of these reasons to have a compelling WHY statement then this is the one to choose. There is nothing more important than your health and your happiness. When you are happy then you tend to be healthier. If you are unhappy then your resistance is down and you can experience all kinds of health issues.

 

6. Your Resilience will Increase

 

Everyone has to face problems in their life. For some people these problems are too difficult to handle and they become overwhelmed and stressed out. When you have a compelling WHY statement you can see these problems as opportunities for you to grow and attain fulfillment in your life.

 

Communicating Your WHY Statement To Others

When you make a commitment to create a truly powerful WHY statement, it is a good idea to share it with other people in your social circle. You can share your new personal WHY statement with your family members, your close friends, your employer and anyone else that is important to you in your life.

 

Some people are not going to know what a WHY statement is and why you have bothered to create one. Explain to everyone that you have now found your true life purpose and that you intend to stand by your WHY statement from now on. 

 

Sharing Provides Accountability

 

By sharing your WHY statement with the important people around you will make yourself accountable and more motivated to live by it. You may not feel that you need this added accountability because you have a strong will, but you will be surprised how much this can help you to be the person that you truly want to be.

 

Not everyone that you share your WHY statement with is going to hold you accountable. Some of your family members and friends may not even notice that you have deviated from it. Others may notice, but then show sympathy to you and say things like “well you tried and that was the main thing”. This is not going to help you.

 

Think about who will make a good WHY statement buddy. This is a person who will truly hold you accountable to your WHY statement and will let you know in no uncertain terms of you fall of the rails. They are not going to be sympathetic to any deviances and will give you a hard time if you do not live by your WHY statement.

 

Is it necessary to Share your WHY Statement with everyone?

 

There are going to be some people in your circle that just don’t get it. They may even laugh at you for creating a personal WHY statement and tell you that you have just wasted a lot of time and effort. 

 

Some people are going to tell you that you will never live by your WHY statement. They know you very well and feel that you will deviate from your WHY statement at the earliest opportunity. We all have these kinds of people in our lives who see the negative in everything.

 

So, should you share your WHY statement with these people? To be honest only you can answer that question. If you know that a person is going to hit you with a barrage of negativity when you share your WHY statement with them then you need to decide if you are going to be able to handle this.

 

Some people can handle this kind of negativity well. It actually makes them even more committed to their WHY statement. Others will find this negativity difficult to deal with and it may make them think that they are wasting their time with a WHY statement.

 

You need to assess what kind of person you are and how you will react to any negativity. If you think that any negativity will affect you badly, do not share your WHY statement with these kinds of people. 

 

The truth is you can never totally predict how people you are close to will react to you telling them about your WHY statement. Some will be enthusiastic and show encouragement. But others that you expect the same reaction from may be negative about it. You need to be prepared for any eventuality.

Getting The Most From Your WHY Statement

There is no doubt that any good personal WHY statement takes time and effort to create. So having made this investment in your WHY statement you will want to get the most that you can from it. 

 

Quite rightly you took quite a long time to write and refine your WHY statement so that it was as clear, concise and powerful as it could be. So now it is time for you to reap the benefits of your new powerful WHY statement and in this article, we will show you how to do that.

 

Motivate yourself with your WHY Statement

 

Inspiration alone is usually never enough to achieve your goals. There are going to be times when you are not in the right frame of mind and just cannot be bothered to take action. When you have a strong personal WHY statement you can use it to provide you with a significant motivational boost.

 

We strongly recommend that you have a copy of your personal WHY statement by your bedside. Every morning after you get out of bed you should read your WHY statement out loud so that it motivates you and gives you the energy that you need for the day ahead.

 

It is also a good idea to keep a copy of your WHY statement with you so that you can access it at any time. If you feel the need for a motivational boost at any time of day, and wherever you are, get out your WHY statement and read it again.

 

There is no limit to how many times you should read your WHY statement each day and be motivated by it. That is one of the main reasons that you spent all of the time and energy writing it so use it as often as you need.

 

Set your Goals using your WHY Statement

 

You are very unlikely to achieve goals that you are not truly committed to. Maybe you were persuaded by others to set certain goals in the past or you just thought that it was the right thing to do. 

 

With a strong WHY statement you can forget about what others say and any other influencers. You know what your purpose in life is now and you have clearly defined this in your WHY statement. This clarity is essential for you to set goals that you are inspired by and truly committed to.

 

You are aware of the contribution that you want to make to the world and the impact that you want to have. So, use this to set goals that will move you forward with both of these. Create your goals and plans around your personal WHY statement and you will be totally driven to achieve them.

 

Make Decisions using your WHY Statement

 

You should find it easier to make decisions going forward now that you have a strong and clear WHY statement. Instead of making some decisions without considering the consequences as a lot of people do, your WHY statement will guide you to make the right decisions.

 

Your WHY statement has provided you with direction and purpose for your life so always have it in the back of your mind when you are making decisions. Ask yourself if making a particular decision will move you closer to your life’s purpose or move you away from it.

 

How To Create A Strong Business WHY Statement

Writing a strong and effective mission statement for a business is not a 5-minute job. You need to think carefully about what you want to include in your mission statement as it needs to be congruent with all of the parties in your business including your customers, employees, suppliers and stakeholders (owners etc).

 

We recommend that a strong mission statement needs to include these three important elements as a minimum:

 

1. What does your business do for your customers?
2. What does your business do for your employees?
3. What does your business do for your stakeholders / owners?

 

So good mission statements include a fourth element which is what the company will do for the community. These are certainly the most important factors of a mission statement so make sure that you include them in yours.

 

What does a Strong Mission Statement do for a Business?

 

It is very similar to a personal WHY statement in that it provides clarity of purpose. There is more to a mission statement than a personal WHY statement as a business is more complex. A strong mission statement should be used to:

 

• Set the main business goal(s)

• Determine the company culture

• Define the ethics of the business

• Provide guidance for decision making

 

Unfortunately, most mission statements are poorly written and you wonder why the business owners bothered to write theirs at all. Some of the largest businesses are guilty of this – it is not just the smaller companies. 

 

If you create a vague mission statement this doesn’t help your customers or your employees at all. You are not going to garner commitment if people do not understand what your mission statement really means. So, in this article we will show you how to create a clear mission statement that all parties can commit to.

 

What is the Purpose of your Business?

 

The first important step to writing a strong mission statement is to define clearly what your business is about. Consider the customer here and map out the process of how they find out about you right through to making a decision to purchase your products and services.

 

You need to think about these 3 main aspects:

 

1. Why do your customers want what you have to offer?
2. How will customers find your business?
3. What’s in it for your customers?

 

In your mission statement you need to inform your customers why they need to buy from you. Write a list of what your business does as well as the things that it doesn’t do to help create a clear picture.

 

What does your Company do for your Employees?

 

If a business does not take care of their employees there will be high turnover which is expensive. So, use your mission statement to retain your employees for longer. Think about how you motivate and train your employees. Here are some ideas for this:

 

• You provide the best training

• You are fair with your employees

• You respect the ideas that your employees have

• You empower your employees

 

All of these things really matter to your employees. You need to tell them that you see them as your most precious asset and you want to take care of them. To avoid your mission statement being too long, you can create an external one for your customers and an internal one for your employees and stakeholders.

 

Mission Statements and Owners

 

You need to include what is in it for your owners in your mission statement as well. If you are not the owner of the business then talk to the owners to find out what is important to them. The value of shares and return on investment are almost certainly going to be of interest.

How To Write A Good WHY Statement

Once you have discovered your true calling in life you want to create a WHY statement around it. Your WHY statement needs to be compelling because you want to use it to motivate you every day to do the right things to attain fulfillment in your life.

 

There are a number of formats that you can use to write your WHY statement but at the end of the day it is up to you. There are no hard and fast rules here. The most important thing is that your WHY statement really resonates with you and that it is effective.

 

Four Elements of an Ideal WHY Statement

 

Although you don’t need to conform to any set rules there are four elements to a good WHY statement that we strongly recommend that you follow. Your WHY statement need to be very clear and as concise as possible for you and any people that you choose to share it with. So we strongly recommend that you include these 4 elements in your WHY statement:

 

1. Make your WHY statement clear and simple

 

It is really important that your WHY statement provides you with clarity about your life’s purpose. It needs to be simple to understand and as concise as you can make it. At the end of the day it needs to make sense and resonate with you.

 

2. Your WHY statement needs to promote action

 

Your WHY statement must inspire action. There is no point just writing a WHY statement and then do nothing with you. It needs to inspire you to work towards your true calling in life and motivate you to work on this every day.

 

3. Include your Contribution to others in your WHY statement

 

If you can help others then you will help yourself. Every good WHY statement needs a contribution element to it so make sure that yours does as well. Having a contribution element will inspire you to move forward each day.

 

4. Make your WHY statement positive and ensure it resonates with you

 

It will actually be pretty difficult for you to create a WHY statement that is negative but ensure that it is really positive. When you read your WHY statement it needs to resonate with you and motivate you to take action towards your life’s purpose.

 

How long should your WHY Statement be?

 

Again, there are no strict rules to follow here. Your WHY statement needs to be as long as you need it to be. Having said that we recommend that you keep your WHY statement as short as you can. 

 

The most important thing is that your WHY statement contains the 4 important elements that we discussed above. While others may be able to write their WHY statement in one sentence this may not be enough for you. This doesn’t matter at all so please do not concern yourself with this.

 

Aim for an Evergreen WHY Statement

 

An evergreen WHY statement is one that you will not have to change very often, if at all. You want to use your WHY statement in all aspects of your life both in your work and personal life. 

 

When you are writing your WHY statement, think about it as a way to express the value that you provide to others at work and in your personal life. There is no need for you to write two WHY statements to cover this.