Do Your Planning with Purpose by Robert J. Tamasy |
| Now that the stress, demands and brief frivolity of Christmas have ended, the time has come to focus on the new year. This often involves planning, setting goals, perhaps making resolutions. Some of these are intended to build on progress we made over the past year; in other cases we are eager to leave the past and start fresh. For some people, the current year cannot end quickly enough. It has been a dreadful experience and hopefully the next year will be much better. For others, bidding farewell to the year soon past brings sadness because of memorable, milestone events – personal or professional. And others view the struggles and failures of the year in a positive light, hoping to apply important lessons they have learned in the coming year. As we proceed with our plans and goals, it might be wise to borrow an important principle from successful companies. Virtually all have clear-cut, carefully worded mission statements – formal reminders to communicate their purpose to staff members, customers and suppliers. We too should consider adopting mission or purpose statements, expressions that provide us answers for questions such as “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” “How will I know when I have arrived?” Many of my friends have gone through this exercise and found it useful. Rather than being restrictive, it provides freedom and direction. As the adage reminds us, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” A purpose statement (or personal mission statement) helps to define who we think we are, what we would like to accomplish in our lives, and how we intend to achieve it. Such statements can also provide a general timeline (the “when”) and even express our motivation for what we intend to do and to become (our “why”). Once an individual formulates and determines to live according to a purpose statement, then his or her goals can be filtered through it. Goals that align with the stated purpose can be retained; those that would conflict with that purpose can be discarded, or at least set aside for later consideration. A purpose statement can include values and beliefs, overriding personal and professional objectives, even unique gifts and abilities you have to offer. Dr. Rick Warren, who contributes to “Monday Manna” on a regular basis, wrote The Purpose Driven Life in which he suggests we each should ask ourselves, “What on earth am I here for?” Conclusions in his book, centered on the following statements, are worth considering:
Personally, I adopted a purpose statement years ago based on a verse written by the apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Philippi. In the Amplified Translation of the Bible, he writes, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him (Jesus Christ) – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly” (Philippians 3:10). Whenever I review my goals, I find this statement an excellent filter for evaluating what I am planning to do – and why. Reflection/Discussion Questions:
If you have a Bible and would like to review some other passages that relate to this topic, consider the following verses: Psalm 37:4-5; Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:3, 21-2-3; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Reprinted with permission from Monday Manna, published weekly by CBMC International, www.cbmcint.org. Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. A veteran of 38 years in professional journalism, he is the author of Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace and has coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring: 10 Proven Principles for Developing People to Their Fullest Potential. For more information, see www. leaderslegacy.com or www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. |
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