There are times I get caught up in my mind as I walk and my legs take me to a familiar route even though I didn’t want to go there. When I am going to a new place I am better off when I do remember exactly where I am heading!
I cannot imagine my life without my smartphone! I love the GPS function that guides me every step of my way, whether it is a new coffee shop in the heart of the city or a temple in a remote Indian village!
With my sense of navigational skills, I would have spent agonising time and energy, just getting directions! And I know I am not alone in this experience.
I often wonder what my GPS would be to navigate life? If not a GPS, a compass would be an excellent tool to start. I don’t know about you; I like to make my journey of being relaxed, pleasurable and enjoyable and make detours at my will rather than by chance.
I would love to share how my Purpose and Mission statements provided clearer direction in my life. Would you like to learn more?
Difference between Purpose, Vision and Mission :
I have often observed that people use the words’ purpose, vision and mission interchangeably.
Are you interested to know how we could get them to provide us direction to your life? Do you want to see how these tools help organisations that operate longer across several generations? Let’s look at these concepts and explore them.
Purpose:
The purpose is all about the ‘why’ question. For example, why does the company exist beyond the money-making part? In my opinion, this question equally applies to an individual and begs the question, ‘why do I live this life’?
There is so much buzz on ‘Purpose’ these days. I see most millennials have better embraced this concept at an early stage in life and, in my opinion, better than any previous generations.
I love this era of freedom in thinking and acting in a broader context! I now think about purpose beyond just making a living and having a family, which I believed to be my only purpose of existence.
I am grateful for the fact that the previous generation’s aim of ‘earning their living’ and ‘having families’ have brought us to this place we are in today!
I love this quote from Steve Jobs, which reflects his purpose for his life.
“We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”
Vision:
It is more common to find Vision statements in organisations that intend to make a difference. The Vision statement often clarifies the purpose by setting a clear vision for people to imagine, feel, and help them achieve and fulfill.
In short, it is an aspirational idea of what the company wants to become.
We could use this tool to come up with a personal vision for ourselves if that helps to imagine the best possibility of ourselves.
When I look at the Vision statement of Apple Inc, I still find it to be a projection of Steve Job’s purpose he set for himself and his company, years after he passed on.
Apple’s vision statement is “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing.
This Vision statement gives direction for the management and employees of Apple to know where they are heading towards, all the time.
Mission:
A mission statement defines what you do and who you do it for. What struck me when I learned about the mission statement was that I could use it as my guide for perpetuity. In other words, I follow it until my last breath. It applies to me as long as I live and relevant to every breath I take.
You might have seen the mission statement of companies very often, at least in the more established and long-lasting companies. The mission statement provides direction to all generations of leaders and employees that would fulfill the original objective of company envisioned by its founding leaders.
For example, Microsoft’s mission statement is “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” Whatever the company chooses to do would align with this mission of theirs.
Personal mission statement in my experience has a similar reason. It would help remind us what we are here to do and who we do it for.
When I did my research, I found the below statement of Mahatma Gandhi.
"I shall not fear anyone on Earth. I shall fear only God. I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering."
I have always been drawn to him and been an admirer of the principles and grace of his living. When I read his mission, I felt quite sure he lived through his mission until his last breath. He did know throughout his life journey where he was heading and his compass was always pointing towards truth!
My Direction:
Personal purpose goes with the same idea as that of a company’s. The question I ask myself is, why do I exist? What value do I add living this life to myself and others around me?
After much thinking, feeling and deliberation, I was able to form a simple sentence that could light me up and provide direction to my life in each step. Here is how my purpose looks like now:
“To be the container of love and be an agent of change for myself and people around me.”
When I got entirely comfortable with this purpose, my mission statement evolved into these points:
- Infuse the fragrance of love in everything I do.
- Kindle the spark of positive change within myself and the people around me.
- Keep myself healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
- Take the path that aligns with my purpose and truth.
When I fine-tuned my purpose and mission statements, it brought me back to the direction I desired to travel and I know where exactly I am heading. This calibration of my path led me to manifest this blog project that I had kept pushing away for years.
What are your purpose and mission? Do you want to write it down and share it with us? The world is waiting to be inspired!
Are you clear on what really do you want in life? Perhaps this article “What do I really want in life?” might throw some light to confirm your understanding or give you more ideas.
