What's your life mission? Do you know why you live? Does your life make sense?

Before we dive into today’s issue, let me remind you of our little secret: The key to success in all areas of your life starts with managing the most important asset you possess: YOU. YOU are the golden goose of your life. There is no better investment in life than investing in yourself.

In most companies I’ve worked for, maintaining a personal development plan was a regular part of our growth process. We were asked to think about where we saw our careers in 5, 10, or even 20 years. Which skills did we want to learn? What certifications or professional development classes would help us continue growing?

As an employee, I often struggled with these plans. I found it frustrating to think about what skills I might need in 10 years when I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to do next week! Still, it was a necessary task, so I filled it out because I had to.

Once I became a manager, my perspective changed. I realized the importance of having a development plan—not just for myself, but for the people I was leading. How could I coach and help my team grow if I didn’t know where they wanted to go? Understanding their career and life goals became crucial.

The Importance of a Mission Statement

Today, I’m amazed at how many people live without knowing where they want to go. It’s like driving without a destination—how do you know which road to take?

Self-management requires a plan, and the first step in building your self-management plan is to think about your end game. Where do you want to go? What’s your destination? Why do you wake up every morning?

Some people argue that their goals change over time, and they’re not sure where they’ll want to end up. They just want to live their lives. So they don't need a plan. I used to think the same way. But in 2019, when I finally sat down to think about where I needed to be, everything changed.

The importance of this exercise isn’t about fixing your destination. Your plan will likely evolve as you experience life. As Jocko Willink and Leif Babin say in Extreme Ownership, “The most important thing about planning is not the plan but the act of planning.”

For me, I drafted the first version of my mission statement on May 22, 2019—just 15 days after my first son was born. It took me over three years and 17 revisions to end up with the version I have now, which I last updated on November 28, 2022.

During those three years, I learned a lot about myself. My mission statement evolved, but it took that initial effort on May 22, 2019, to get to where I am today. Now, my mission statement perfectly reflects my personality and dreams.

To give you an example, here's my personal mission statement as of today:

To use the intelligence, wisdom, and grace that God gives me each day to first be a husband and father who loves unconditionally, and then to help my people take charge of their lives, rise out of poverty, and build a country more beautiful than before.

Today, this mission statement drives almost everything I do. Everyday, I'm asking myself am I being a husband and father who loves unconditionally ? Am I helping my people at work take charge of their careers and lives ? Am I helping people I coach become more responsible ? Am I contributing to helping at least some people rise out of poverty in the Congo ? Am I helping to build a more beautiful Canada for my kids ?

Your Mission Statement: The First Step

If you’re serious about self-management and taking control of your life, you need to create your first map. What’s your mission on this earth? Why do you live? What’s your end game? Why do you wake up every morning?

This week’s exercise: Write your initial mission statement. We’ll refer to it over the next few articles. Remember, it doesn’t need to be perfect. It will likely change over the next few years as you learn more about yourself. But you need to start somewhere.

A Powerful Exercise from Dr. Covey

To help you with this, here’s an exercise that helped me develop my own mission statement. It’s called the funeral exercise, and it’s one of the most powerful activities I’ve ever done.

Imagine this:

You’re attending a funeral. As you walk into the chapel, you notice the flowers, the soft music playing in the background, and the somber faces of the people gathered. There’s a deep sense of reflection in the air. You make your way to the front of the room and look into the casket. To your surprise, you see yourself lying there. This is your funeral, taking place three years from today.

Now, imagine that four people are going to speak about you at this service:

• A family member: Someone who knows you intimately and has shared some of your most precious moments.
• A close friend: Someone who can speak about the kind of person you were.
• A colleague: Someone from your work who can talk about your professional life.
• A member of your community: Someone who has seen you in a different social setting, perhaps through your involvement in volunteer work or community service.

Now ask yourself:

• What would you like each of these speakers to say about you?
• What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect?
• What kind of friend?
• What kind of colleague?
• What kind of community member?
• What contributions and achievements would you want them to remember?
• What character traits would you like them to have seen in you?

The Purpose:

This exercise isn’t meant to be morbid but to help you gain clarity on what’s truly important in your life. It’s about understanding your deeper values and long-term goals. The idea is to live each day with this end in mind, guiding your actions, decisions, and interactions with others.

Dr. Covey emphasizes that beginning with the end in mind (which is the second habit) allows you to define your own success, rather than chasing someone else’s definition of it. By identifying what you want to be remembered for, you can align your daily actions and long-term goals with your core values and principles, ensuring that your life is fulfilling and meaningful.

Next Week: Defining Your Field of Play

If you’re serious about this exercise, take the time to do it. In the next article, we’ll explore the second action in this planning process: defining your initial field of play. Once you know where you want to go, you'll have to choose which road will bring you to where you want to go.

See you next week!