The Dubs, self-leadership and achieving your goals in September. You may well ask what’s this all about then. While it’s great to achieve your goals, for the self-leader it’s as much about how you do achieve them.
The Dublin football team have been working towards this day since they last picked up the Sam Maguire in September of 2017.
They knew just like Mark Twain that the secret of getting ahead was by getting started at the right time. And the secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.
Like all Self-leaders they know that having a vision (of winning the All-Ireland) means more than just bringing the cup back home. It is as much about how they were going to get there. This is why it is vital to have a personal mission statement that supports the vision of what it is you want to achieve.
When there is an understanding of where you want to go with your life and work, and how you want to get there, then it is possible to review and recommit to it frequently. When you have a real and genuine sense of ownership over how it is you are going to achieve your vision, you will be much more upbeat and enthusiastic about the journey ahead. The most effective way to achieve what you have set out to do is to develop a personal mission statement. This focuses on what you want to be and the values or principles you want to follow in pursuit of your vision. The mission statement itself might be very short, perhaps not more than a sentence or paragraph. But development of the mission statement should grow out of deep introspection and a great deal of reflection. In a short and distinct way, the mission statement needs to answer the following question: “How will you live as a person as you move forward to reach the vision you have for your life and work?”
It is better to follow your own life’s mission, however imperfectly, than to assume the life mission of another person, however successfully.
The Bhaghavad Gita
A personal mission statement based on good principles will set out the way you want to live your life and the standards you aspire to live by. It can serve as a personal constitution or charter, as the foundation for making major life and work decisions. It will help you build a firm grounding on which to achieve your vision for the future and remind you how you will get there.
Having a written mission statement will give you a focus, keep you on track or get you back on track if you do stray.
A mission statement will have the following positive effects:
• It will act as a great mechanism for your long-term development as a person.
• It will support you in everyday decision-making.
• It will motivate and arouse positive emotion.
Having a written mission statement will provide a focus and keep you pointed in the right direction, reminding you where it is you want to get to and how it is you want to get there. It will allow you to flow with changes. Having your mission statement written down allows you to look at it regularly and make any necessary changes and improvements as you grow and develop both personally and professionally.