Mission Statement
Sometimes I have so many things running through my head that I get confused and some of my thoughts get misplaced. You wouldn’t think that a retired guy would have so many things to think about, but I do. I’m not talking so much about the routine tasks of life, like shopping, cleaning, cooking and laundry. I’m talking more about my new tasks of growth and discovery. I am trying to put those things in some kind of context and keep them there. That is becoming more difficult because I keep developing more and varied ideas and I try to fit them in with the main flow of things. I am usually a very organized person and I’m stretching the limits of that ability to keep things flowing.Coleen had a habit of making notes to herself containing reminders of things she needed or wanted to do. Those notes could be found mostly at her bedside or in the kitchen on our counter. Sometimes they resembled a shopping list and other times just seemed like a rambling stream of expression. They helped her with her life, though and I am still finding them in random places. I have also adopted that technique so that I can protect some of the fleeting thoughts that dance through my consciousness from escaping through some secret tunnel in my brain. If I don’t write these thoughts down as I encounter them, I might never get them back and I am so selfish about memories and messages these days, I can’t let that happen.
I am troubled by my inability so far to properly define my new role. I am anxious to not just define it, but to develop and activate it. I seem to have a vision but it’s still a little blurry. I get a little closer to the target then get sidetracked by a different set of thoughts. That’s where the organizational part of this comes in handy. And where my business experience can help me.
In my previous life as a working member of society and contributor to our economic system, I was employed in a management position. And in that role two jobs ago, I was often called upon for my input in developing and implementing corporate strategy. I enjoyed that and became very good at it as I quickly learned the methods and tools used to map out strategies for success. I don’t mean to turn my personal growth and discovery process into a marketing plan, but there are lessons I learned from those days that can be valuable to me now.
When I attended the strategic meetings with the company management and ownership, there were always several flip charts mounted on easels positioned about the room. And some masking tape and a pile of magic markers in various colors. I wondered what method that madness provided and quickly found out that their concept was to make everything visible. So when a statement was made or an idea expressed that seemed worthy of further discussion, it was written down on one of the flip charts and kept for future reference. Once a page was filled it would be torn from the chart and taped to the wall. Always visible. Always there to be looked at and reminded of and added to. And they were always organized into “small, manageable units” so the overall task would never be overwhelming. I have that in my office. One flip chart, one roll of masking tape, three markers and three pages torn off and taped to the wall so far. It helps me to capture and organize my thoughts just like Coleen used to do for herself with her lists.
Another tool used in these sessions was the creation of a list titled “What Learned.” This list would also be taped to the wall and would be a running list of items or revelations uncovered during the sessions. These were basically lessons learned while conversing and brainstorming and were usually turned into opportunities. I have one of those on my office wall too and it is a full-page list of things I have learned and continue to learn on my journey. I now need a second page and probably will need more after that. The learning never seems to stop. For my purpose, these lessons create not only opportunity but become part of my discovery process as well.
Many of the methods and planning exercises I learned in those corporate meetings translate well to Love, Loss & Healing. Instead of increasing profits, I am trying to develop ways to increase awareness. It’s a totally different purpose but there’s no reason I can’t use some of the same infrastructure to get there. It’s not being used by anyone else anymore so I might as well claim it for my own. The way I see it, in order to get myself more organized and focused I need to have some kind of mission statement or goal or idea of what I’m after. What am I?.
I am a communicator of life lessons learned through the loss of my soul mate and the discoveries I have made since. Through written and spoken expressions, I actively seek out those who have experienced loss in an effort to provide comfort, resource and enlightenment to them. I constantly seek knowledge from sages, practitioners and organizations and strive to build networks of knowledge to better communicate my truths of love, loss, healing and discovery.Well, that feels better. Concise and to the point. It’s exactly what I’ve been aiming at and what I’ve been trying to say all these months. I’ve touched on all those points at different times but never forced myself to think it through and wrap it all up into a simple statement. The best part of having a mission statement or a strategic direction, is that it provides the reference point, the definition of who you are and what your purpose is. Once you have that, it becomes much easier to stay on track. Once you have that, you can measure all your decisions against the mission. Does it fit or does it not? Almost like being in business.
I have heard two people mention public speaking to me recently. They are both very wise sages and I have absolute trust in their words. I have had several people say that I will be writing a book and I am already working on that. I have met many interesting people of resource and have plans to meet many more. I have a website and business cards and a desire for discoveries that I can share. All those things, every one of them, is a direct hit on that mission statement. It’s my new discovery, it’s what I am.
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