Make Your Life a Mission.  Not an Intermission.

Arnold H. Glasgow

A lot of people derive their self-esteem from their job and the recognition they receive from such.  It’s what keeps folks stuck in dead end jobs or in the proverbial golden handcuffs when they’re frustrated with their career.  It becomes like a vicious circle you can’t escape.  However, after a while that discontent starts rearing its ugly head – be it physically, emotionally or spiritually.  It’s my own personal belief that in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle you need love and have passion for what you do daily.  If you go into work dreading the day ahead, it will impact you physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I know from my own experience that I’ve thought life would get better if I changed jobs.  So, I went ahead and got a new job to discover after a few months that the same nagging feeling had returned.  It finally dawned on me that until I dealt with the core issue, I’d repeat this same situation over and over again.  Yes, sometimes the only solution is to change jobs.  In other instances, it’s merely an attitude change or a “restructuring” of your current career/job.  Yet, the real issue is that you have to make your life a mission – not just an intermission.  You have to find what feeds your heart and soul, as well as your intellect.

With 2014 around the corner, why not take some time to step back and find out how you can start taking the necessary steps toward making your life a mission.  To help you get started, consider the following questions:

• What do you love doing?

• If money/salary/income weren’t an issue, what would you see yourself doing?

• What are you really good at?

• Do you want to be self-employed or work for someone?

• Would you rather work independently or on a team project?

• How much money do you want to make?

• How many hours do you want to work?

• In what type of environment do you want to work? (i.e. boss, colleagues, your subordinates, building, office, location, etc.)

• What do you want your day to look like?

• How do you want to feel at the end of the day?

• Write out your ideal job description here (even if you don’t currently have the qualifications…).

• What are your core values that you must meet with this new job/career?

• List companies, which you feel are in line with your values.

• What steps can you take to create what you’re looking for?

• What will you commit to do immediately?

As with your personal life evaluation, I recommend that you outline a 30-day action plan to move you to the place of your dreams.  The below action plan is a good start and can obviously be tweaked to what will get you motivated.  Here’s to planning for a successful 2014!

Vision Planner

Name:                                                                                                           

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