Make It a Mission Rather Than a Job!

I've always been willing to go full kimono with you, so why don't we do it again this year? My butt was kicked by 2021.

I was invited to a lot of fire drills, and since I'm a parent, I took on the anxieties, uncertainties, and fears of the businesses I work with. I felt drained for the first time since starting this company.

I had to push myself to install my now-famous treadmill workstation and log into Zoom on occasion. There were moments when I felt like I was simply doing my job, which was terrifying.

When I quit my 25-year corporate career, I vowed myself that I would never work for another company again.

This question accompanied me to the cushion, my breathwork, writing, and all the other woo-woo activities I engage in for self-care. One thought kept resurfacing in my mind.

This had to be a purpose, not a job for me. I resolved to address this task during the little respite provided by the holidays, so that 2022 wouldn't get the best of me.

I'm not talking about a company's mission. A unifying rallying cry that can invigorate a team is very vital.

Rather, I'm writing about a personal goal. The thing that will motivate you to get out of bed each day, motivated by a call to action to materialize your greatest self.

My life had been uncomplicated for years. I wanted to be proud of my family and make them feel protected and secure.

While it is still essential, I now have adult children. I'm a grandpa twice over, to be sure. I am proud of them, and now it is up to them to ensure the protection and security of their loved ones.

That task is, in a sense, finished, or at least the chapter has turned. So, what's next?

I like what I do as well as the people with whom and for whom I do it. However, that does not constitute a mission.

So I went back to the couch and the woo-woo till it finally struck me. Every day, I have the privilege and duty of empowering entrepreneurs.

They are change agents working for human health, climate action, justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion on the front lines. What a fantastic idea!

That is quite a task! As I put pen to paper and read it out, I could sense the passion and excitement.

I am not a naïve person. This reminds me of the first blue-sky spring day, when everything seems new and exciting.

There will be dark and gloomy days ahead. I'll still be invited to the fire drills, but I won't be allowed to record the entrepreneurs' anxieties, doubts, and fears.

But, buffeted by this newly created objective, I'm convinced that they won't have the same vampiric impact of draining my life energy. I'm certain that if I maintain this aim at the forefront of my mind, I won't have to force myself to mount my treadmill and log into Zoom.

I'm on a mission, and this isn't going to be a job for me.

I'm posting this because I suspect I'm not alone in feeling depleted over the last 20 months. Although I badly want to think it will soon be behind us, as a realist, I understand that we will be stuck in these stormy seas for some time.

We can't give in to them, and we can't let them get the best of us. A firm personal objective serves as a life raft, keeping us afloat in the dark, muddy, and chaotic seas we find ourselves in.

What is your goal? Put your thoughts on paper and share them with me.

Thanks to Elliot Begoun at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.