HOW TO FUTURE PROOF Your Long Term Career Goals
I remember sitting in a leadership summit with 500 leaders from around the world. Money well spent, in my opinion, as the topic was the updated vision of the organization and the re-engagement of the company culture; essentially a refresh of the Mission, Vision and Values (MVV). It made sense from a corporate perspective, but as I walked out of that room, I thought to myself, “I wonder how many people know what their personal MVV is or even have one?”
I didn’t.
So, how do we even begin to make life choices that really matter if we don’t know where we want to be in the future, how to get there and what’s really important to us?
It’s crucial to understand what motivates us personally and professionally. In doing so we can identify the goals we wish to set for ourselves. With vision, planning, laser focus prioritization and self-reflection, we can align our personal and professional goals, ultimately setting ourselves up for success on our own terms.
So, what is a personal MVV and how do you get one?
Vision
Start with your overall vision for your life five years from now. This may seem like a long way out given the current landscape, but remember it’s what you are ultimately aiming for and good things take time. Your vision defines who you want to be, what your desired lifestyle is and the set of experiences and accomplishments you aim for. Your vision helps define your goals by giving you a framework to evaluate them. Your vision becomes your why.
Values
What about values? Values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work. They should determine what you say yes to, but also what you say no to. This will help with priorities and define what’s really meaningful. There is tremendous power in living according to your highest values, and experiencing inner peace as the natural consequence. When we don’t live our values, life feels out of alignment.
Mission Statement
Now, let’s tie it all together with a mission statement. We all have different ideas about success and that’s a good thing. Personal mission statements should provide a framework for your efforts and help define how you’ll approach your personal and professional goals in the future.
Making a personal mission statement helps to clearly define your personal goals. It allows you to more readily dismiss distractions that creep in and provides a clear pathway foward. It enables you to identify areas you want to improve in your career, work ethic, or daily productivity. Personal mission statements are critical because:
They define and explain why you do what you do
They keep you focused and on track during tough times
They serve as your foundation
They make decision-making simpler
They keep you focused on pursuing the things that make you happy
They give you a clearly defined outline for the future
Although this can be a challenging thing to start (it takes a lot of self reflection and awareness), it can be a game changer in how you strategically create personal and professional alignment.
Are you ready?