The blue prints to make sure things are running smoothly to produce Good
To find fulfillment and ensure you are living a mission-driven life, you first need to decide what mission will drive your efforts.
Understanding what brings you joy is the first step. The next is to crystallize this joy into a mission that directs your life's work.
A mission isn't just a statement; it's a compass that guides you through life's choices—where to invest your energy, time, and resources. Rooted in what brings you fulfillment, it should reflect what brings you enduring happiness and provide a clear framework for your decisions.
An excellent place to start is by analyzing your Happiness Audit. As you look over the results of your Happiness Audit, consider: What does it tell you about what you should live for? What did you value most? What brings you the most joy? What is worth spending your resources on? Find some quiet place and probe your heart and mind to find the answers to these questions.
Then, start writing a personal mission statement—a clear and concise summary of the Purpose of Your Factory for Good. This statement is a powerful tool that clearly defines what you live for. It helps you focus on your pathway to the future, choose the goals that matter to you, and bypass the "fatal distractions" that can keep you from achieving your great purpose.
A mission statement should be succinct, memorable, and actionable—something you can refer to daily and use to align your actions. In determining your Factory's mission, explicit guiding attributes make it a powerful vehicle for lasting impact. Joseph Grenny, author of Crucial Conversations and a co-builder of the non-profit UNITUS, gives these principles for giving with direction and purpose:
- Make it Personal
- Gain Your Own Experience
- Have Discipline
You can build a meaningful, powerful Factory for Good as you carefully do these three things. In my interviews, I found several examples of people living by these principles in their giving efforts.
For those who made it personal, centered in their own experience, and were disciplined it became more meaningful and significantly more impactful to them and their family.
