When I worked as a Marketing Director for a restaurant group I challenged the leaders of the organization to develop a mission statement that would incorporate its values and goals so that customers and employees could have an understanding of what we as a company were about. It was a daunting task trying to get people to agree on what our mission was. I did not realize how frustrating it would be to get people to reach a consensus. Some people thought it was a complete waste of time. After all, there was construction to oversee, employees to be trained, money to be raised and recipes to be tested. In the end, that mission statement never saw the light of day, and eventually that restaurant group, for a number of reasons, folded.
The fact that writing that mission statement is so difficult for some people is evidence of its power. It means that you’d have to stand for something and live up to it and alot of people are not ready to do that. However, if you are seeking a better life in line with your authentic self, then you must be ready to write your own mission statement. Let me tell you how I accidentally came up with mine.
This summer I auditioned to be a contestant on a television show called America’s Next Food Network Star. The winner of this competition show wins their own cooking show on the Food Network. I thought it was time for the Food Network to have a dynamic, female, Asian chef and that their audience would embrace someone with my unique culinary point of view.
I did not get a callback, but what I got from the experience was something so much greater. In the process of filling out the lengthy 11-page application, I was forced to dig deep inside myself to understand who I am and why I would want to be on such a show. I realized that I have a deep desire to help others through sharing my knowledge of food and that having my own cooking show would be completely in line with that. This is the reason why I’ve taught cooking classes, published books and articles, blogged and twittered about food. This is the reason why I accost strangers in the grocery store to talk about recipes and ingredients: to help people by sharing what I know. This is why I am constantly pursuing more food knowledge- to have more to share.
I am telling you, once you have a mission statement it will make your life so much easier! You will have a reference point to help you make decisions with clarity. For example, I have felt confused about the next steps that take in my career. Often times I found myself reacting to opportunities instead of proactively working towards a goal. When you are living a life that is reactionary it makes you feel restricted and powerless because you are always waiting for something to happen to you instead of creating what you want from your life. Now that I have a mission statement it is so much easier to see what things fit into my life and what doesn’t. I am feeling gratitude for the amazing life I have, and I’m getting rid of things that don’t serve me in order to make room for more of this abundant joy.
It’s time to step into your power and live out your mission.
I really love your philosophy and mission! I’m so impressed!