In the On-Purpose Post from last week, you learned about the importance of clarifying your personal Purpose, Vision, Missions, and Values (PVMV) — specifically, your Purpose and Vision. Today, let’s focus on the practical benefits of discerning your Missions and Values.
Missions are what you do and add the “How” component to your Purpose (being) and Vision (seeing). Here’s where the action takes place from both a planning perspective as well as implementation. If you’re unclear about your Vision or what you want to create for your future, logically the “what to do” part will be similarly clouded.
Let’s say you’re unhappy about your present job. If you’ve not invested time thinking about your future job, then you’re likely to job hop to the next best offer or the one that pays you more money. No strategic dots are being connected so there’s a less likely chance your new job will work out as hoped.
Perhaps you already know your 2-word purpose so let’s say you’ve clarified your vision for what a future or ideal job would be for you. You’ve taken action and are on a mission going after it. You interview with a company and get an aligned job offer. All good, right?
Not really, because Values provide the final checkpoint to guide your decision. Values play the last vital role in your preparation. If your values don’t align with your prospective employer’s, it isn’t a good fit so your search likely continues, or you knowingly compromise some part of your PVMV. And that may be necessary in difficult financial circumstances, but at least you know what you’re doing and what you’re getting into versus blindly hoping it will work out for you.
Many years ago, my wife had an opportunity to take a job with a defense contractor. As the HR person was offering her the job, he wisely asked, “Are you comfortable with the fact that ‘kill rate’ is one of our corporate success measures — meaning how many enemy combatants our products eliminate?” Because her duties in the company would be far removed from the reality of being in the “kill rate” business, Judith hadn’t considered it. After pondering the offer for her “perfect job,” she realized it ultimately didn’t align with her values and she declined.
Yes, aligning PVMV is a high bar to meet. The other options are to be naive or to have no standards as you fritter away your precious time on the planet spinning your vocational wheels only to create an increasingly deep rut of dissatisfaction. Before you know it, you’ve spent months, years, even decades compounding your disappointment. How’s that likely to work out for you?
The relationship of your PVMV and preparing is twofold. First, the good news is that you know your 2-word purpose. Next, if you’ve not invested a mere 30 minutes to clarify your Vision, Missions, and Values for at least one aspect of your life, such as your desired work, health, or family relationships or business, then you’re not prepared. Without an elementary plan you’re relying upon fate, luck, or trial and error to bring about your wanted reality. Prayer is helpful, but even God needs an engaged and willing partner for you to …
Be On-Purpose!
Kevin
