Declare your Mission

When students arrive at university, they are asked to declare a major. This is usually based on a vague interest they may have without a clear notion of how the next four years will look. But what if instead we asked students to declare a personal mission to guide them in school? How might the attitude towards higher education shift and what could be accomplished with students inspired by their missions? 

 

The same principle could be applied to the workplace. If you are on the job hunt or have just secured a new position, declare your professional mission! Take note of what the position requires but look beyond the title. What will give you purpose in this job/workplace? Remind yourself each day the steps needed to accomplish your mission(s) and who could help you in doing so. 

 

If this is still a bit ambiguous, think about what this looks like on a corporate scale. It is commonplace for companies to issue their own mission statements to establish a clear reasoning for existence. Nike has one as does Apple and Amazon. Even those outside of the corporate realm do too-see JoCo’s mission statement below: 

Our mission is to partner with our clients to provide tailored workforce solutions while returning a high ROI on your payroll spend. We strive to foster professional growth and development for ALL of our candidates. 

Regardless of size or longevity, having a mission in writing ensures that there is a method to the madness and something worth striving towards every day. This practice can be transferred right back to the individual. 

 

Below is a list of student missions (not majors) and professional missions for inspiration. Keep in mind that each mission is tailored to the individual and has no bounds or hard end date. 

 

“To create a more sustainable campus in the years to come”

“Ignite creativity into higher education and demand it as a necessity” 

“To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference” – D. Morrison, Campbell Soup

“To use my gifts of intelligence, charisma, and serial optimism to cultivate the self-worth and net-worth of women around the world” – A. Steinberg

“I want to make it so that every person in the world can afford to start their own business” – J.Rampton, hostt.com 

 

So go ahead and declare your mission! Jot it down, too.