What can you do with Feedback?

Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/lost__in__spain/2575314016/
Day 4 of Steve Aitchison's Mind Alchemy and I'm really fired up after today's exercise! 

Writing a personal mission or vision statement is something I've tried to do before fairly recently but I'd say it has lack a little clarity. Today however, and with the timely intervention of 2 endorsements on the facebook application "Branchout" (one from Steve Aitchison himself)  the other from Matt Brown whom I met for a cuppa thanks to his invite the other day. 
I've been able to write something really meaningful as a result of feedback received.

Writing positively about oneself is quite a difficult thing to do and takes practice. There is the sense that we somehow want to be objective. What better way to get round this than to use the words gifted to us by the feedback of others! It then become authentic. 

If you get some inspiring feedback from someone, it is one thing to accept it and be grateful for it, but what are you going to do with it? If you do nothing, it will become stale and simply fade away. 


MAKE USE of the feedback to improve your life in  dramatic way. It is arguably the best gift you can get from somebody. I'm telling you this because this has become a true realisation for me literally since I got home from work today, switched on my PC and saw the feedback I received! 

I'm now going to share with you my mission/vision statement based on the work I've done for Mind Alchemy day 4.

My infectious and upbeat attitude, enthusiasm and drive, coupled with the learning and creative material I have produced will make a considerable difference to the lives of the clients that choose to work with me. My business will increase to earning a real significant part time income over the coming year of at least £500 per month profit by the end of 2011. I will also become a lead motivational speaker within the organisation with a conference of over 500 delegates who will be inspired by my infectious and upbeat attitude driven by integrity. 

My tenacious and patient attitude toward steadily building and increasing my network in my professional and personal life will increase opportunities to get recognition in my full time job (thereby receiving relevant remuneration) and will enable me to set up my own part time coaching business earning me additional, supplementary income. 

The Band I Play for: 

The presence of Beggars' Belief and the bands unique sound and truly live performance will become increasingly popular. The use of innovative promotional techniques to promote the band through it's fan base will spread the popularity. The band will perform at least once via radio and/or TV media by the end of 2011 earning national and international recognition. The upbeat, inspiring and positive music that is full of the realism of life experience in the written song lyrics will bring a positive attitude in the UK nation and beyond. 

By setting up a regular running regime and increasing my fitness during 2011, I will enter a marathon during the year to raise funds for a charitable cause of my choice.

 
 I truly believe that the music written by the band I'm in has the potential to be amazingly successful. The lyrics in the songs really do mean something. 
Take a listen to one of our country numbers "Grace". 
If you are seeking truth in your life, you'll not go far wrong be being inspired by what is sung here. Credit to Paul, Joe and the gang. 

 
 

Another take on goal setting

Businesses and organisations that seek to be successful and professional generally have a mission statement. If they have a policy and procedure manual, I've no doubt that when they developed it, they started with a mission statement. I've worked where there has been attention to this. During those times, I was pretty cynical and failed to see the relevance. There was rebellion in me for being forced to comply to an extent. 

A couple of years ago, I had a revelation about the purpose of a mission statement. It certainly is a GOAL.

Today, I have decided to do some research on some corporate missions statements. I'll state here and now that neither were as easy to find as I'd expected. 

WAL-MART
"Our mission is to enhance and integrate our supplier diversity programs into all of our procurement practices and to be an advocate for minority and women owned businesses"

OK. So cool! Wal-Mart has a mission statement. I don't know about you, but I suspect that the average Joe in the street would have trouble fully understanding what this means. For me, I have a vague idea that is has something to do with promoting women, other than that and without research on the true meaning of the words, it's nothing short of corporate speak gobbledegook! I'd suggest it could do with a makeover by rewording to more simple language. 

Lets take a look at another.

The online store AMAZON
"Our vision is to be earth's' most customer centric company, to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online"

This one is much easier to understand. Aside of the word "centric" I'd say that the wording is clear and easy to understand for anybody. 

A lack of understanding of a mission statement can cause the workforce to have a lack of direction, purpose and motivation. Individuals (particularly managers) can be in danger of focussing to much upon day to day running, reports, procedures and box ticking exercises. These are of course important, but may not necessarily have a conscious and subconscious link to the foundations of a clear mission statement. 


So referring back to goals, we can choose to apply a personal mission statement to our lives. This will give us, purpose, motivation, direction and energy. It will also build self confidence and self esteem. 

• Do you have a personal mission statement?

• If so, can you write it down in language that you and others understand?

If you do this, I'm suggesting that you will discover a life goal. I challenge you to work out what you life mission is and to develop a statement for it. Once you have done this, check to see if your current goals are compatible with your mission statement. Don't worry if they are not. Goals can be a "work in progress". In other words, they can be amended and don't have to be the final product. You can choose to fine tweak them.


Now in order to practice this for myself, I'm going to write a draft personal mission statement.


"To live a life of joy and purpose. To continue to learn to accept, respect and be kind to myself so that I can successfully accept, respect and be kind to others. To Motivate, Encourage, Empower and Trust others. To enjoy the gift of humour and to laugh often by not taking myself too seriously. To recognise that all aspect of life have natural balance; so allow nature to perform that balance".


Hmmmm. That's a start. 


Over to you folks, if you choose to do the same. 

P.s. (an add on to this blog an hour or so after publishing)
Just for fun, check out this site Plain English Campaign and play with the gobbledegook generator. Very funny!