A Personal Mission

I start my day at 3 a.m. 

I start out each day with a clear purpose, knowing exactly what I want to accomplish in that first critical, creative hour. I set out with coffee in hand and then plow into my determined project for that day. Once 4 a.m. strikes, I’ve made a tangible dent into one of my many life affirming projects.  Then, I relax into a fun romp through my social networking sites as a reward. 

The rest of my day follows suit. I tackle those projects that I deem most life affirming first, then drift for a few deserved minutes into surfing the net for fun. By the end of a week, I’ve accomplished my weekly goals. By the end of the month, I’ve accomplished my monthly goals. And by the end of a year, I’ve accomplished my yearly goals.  

This is strict to some, but it works for me. And, that is what is most important. Find what works and stick to it. 

For me, the only way to clearly reach my goals is if I know what they are and become intimately familiar with them. I do this by writing a personal mission statement at the start of every year. In it I detail what I’d like the end result to be. Then, I set out to create it.  

“"The best way to predict your future is to create it." - Stephen Covey

Many people stumble when it comes to writing a mission statement because to write one takes time and clarity. I found if I start with the end in mind, I am more successful in deciding exactly what it is I want out of life. You might find it helpful to imagine your 80th birthday celebration. What would you like to have accomplished in your life by that point? What would you like for people to say to you as they hug you and eat a slice of cake alongside of you? The answers you come up with are the things you should be focusing on in your present life. Write them down. Create action steps to achieving them by setting up daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals that point to their completion. 

It’s never too late to start living your dreams. Just don’t wait too long because life is speeding by every second of the day! 

Wishing you success along the way,

Suzie

I feel it's critical to support the community, and so I've committed to donate a portion of my book sale proceeds to Chely Wright's LikeMe foundation (http://likeme.org/) to help provide support, resources and education to LGBT individuals, and their families and friends.