BA – Mission and Goals
MISSION AND GOAL CHALLENGE
Purpose is about creating deeper meaning by focusing on “why” something
matters. It is frequently a theme that connects activities and experiences to
give you energy and joy, even when they are challenging. We all want to be
part of something bigger than ourselves and purpose helps us connect our
experiences with those bigger “whys”.
Why this Challenge?
To create alignment and shared ambitions
How to
Start by working through the Mission Statement Guide (p. 217). Once you have crafted your mission statement using the guide, move onto the Create Your Goal template (p. 219). Make sure the goals you collectively and individually pursue are aligned
with your mission statement, make you feel good about your relationship, and make you feel good about yourself. Print your mission statement and place somewhere prominent in your home. Place your shared goal somewhere to be frequently
reminded of it.
About Purpose
Shared purposes provide a foundation to build on, an ideal state to work
toward together, and a benchmark to assess the health of your
relationship. However, it’s amazing how many relationships have not
articulated any shared purposes. For a thriving long-term relationship, it’s
not enough to have romantic feelings, there needs to be something to
anchor you and provide opportunities to work together toward something
meaningful. Purpose offers something more than the day-to-day grind, it
offers something stable and far-reaching, bigger than yourselves, and
involves progress and growth. In fact, the pioneers of positive psychology
teach purpose as the cornerstone of happiness, flow, optimal experience,
and a life well-lived.
As a partnership, do you have any clear shared purposes? If so, what are
they? If not, how can you create some? What individual purposes do you
have which your partner can support you in?
An additional benefit of having shared purposes, is that they can serve as
a tool for resilience. Individuals with purpose display more effective
emotional recovery from unpleasant experiences. One reason this may be
the case, is that a stable and far-reaching purpose enables you to reframe
unpleasant experiences and avoid ruminating on them by focusing your
energy on what is important to you.
Many believe that purpose is something you find through life’s journey.
We have found that purpose is not something hidden which needs to be
found, rather, it is something created through experimentation, passion,
and effort
