I
have commitment issues.
No,
I don’t mean I can’t settle down in a monogamous relationship. I’ve been
happily married for seven years.
My
problem is a tendency to commit to too many things at once. I say “Yes” to
nearly everything.
Would you be interested in
leading a bible study at church?
Me: Of course!
Will you help me plan a networking
event for local bloggers?
Me: Sure!
Will you write a script
and help produce a play for our school’s black history program?
Me: You betcha!
This
is just a small sampling of all the activities I have juggled at once and this is
all in addition to my full time job as an English teacher at a school for
gifted students, my part-time job as a freelance journalist for several publications, and the work I do for See Jane Write.
Because
of this Yes I can! attitude of mine,
people assume I’m the type of person who loves to stay busy. The truth is I’d
like nothing more than to sit on the sofa all day and watch reruns of Law & Order SVU.
But
I can’t because I’m scared. I’m terrified that if I don’t say yes to everything
I’ll miss something big. I’ll miss my chance to do the one thing that will
eventually make all my dreams come true.
Perhaps
you have these same commitment issues. If so, I have news for you, for us: this
behavior is actually preventing us from achieving our goals. We’re doing it all
wrong.
Over-commitment
leads to a life of mediocrity. We’re becoming a Jill of all trades, master of
none. We’re doing a good job at many things, but a great job at nothing.
So
what should we, the grossly over-committed, do? We need a personal mission
statement. A personal mission statement will help us say “Yes” to the things
that matter most and “No” to everything else.
So
let’s do this. Sit down and ask yourself these questions:
What do you believe is
your purpose?
What is your passion?
What would you spend your
days doing (besides watching reruns of Law & Order SVU) if money weren’t an
issue?
After
contemplating these questions I came to the conclusion that my purpose is to
empower other women through language, specifically the written word. Therefore,
my personal mission statement is:
To empower women through
language by writing inspiring, informative, and entertaining works of creative
non-fiction and motivating women to create literary art of their own.
With
my newly drafted personal mission statement in hand I recently eliminated all
activities (with the exception of fitness and some church and family responsibilities) that
did not somehow further this mission. And I learned to say no. This was hard. I had to let go of some
things I really enjoyed, and turn down some things I really wanted to do, but I knew I was making the right decision.
A
personal mission statement can do even more than clear your schedule. It can
also keep you motivated when times are tough. So even if I’m writing a freelance
article for pennies per word or toiling away on a blog I sometimes feel no one
reads, I stay encouraged knowing I’m working toward my mission. And yes, even
if I’m writing a not-so-exciting story on a liability insurance company, I
believe the very sight of my byline has the potential to inspire a woman who
wants to write.
Furthermore,
when focused on my mission I know a bad day is just fuel for another essay.
Five years ago when I was a columnist for a weekly paper I got hit by a car while
crossing a downtown street. After my body slammed into the wet concrete on this
cool, rainy night my first thought (once I realized I wasn’t dead) was, “This
is going to make a great column!”
Those
are words from a woman on a mission.
What’s your personal
mission statement?
