Page 69 - Keys To Community College Success

Your personal mission can be spelled out in a mission statement. Dr. Stephen Covey,
author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, defines a mission statement as a
philosophy outlining what you want to be (character), the rewards you aim for (contri-
butions and achievements), and the principles by which you live (your values). For
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example, here is a mission statement written by Carol Carter, one of the authors of
Keys to Success:
My mission is to use my talents and abilities to help people of all ages, stages,
backgrounds, and economic levels achieve their human potential through
fully developing their minds and their talents. I aim to create opportunities
for others through work, service, and family. I also aim to balance work with
people in my life, understanding that my family and friends are a priority
above all else.
How can you start formulating a mission statement? Try using Covey’s three
aspects of personal mission as a guide. Think through the following:
■ Character. What aspects of character do you think are most valuable? When you
consider the people you admire most, which of their qualities stand out?
■ Contributions and achievements. What do you want to accomplish in your life?
Where do you want to make a difference? What are you willing to risk to make it
happen?
■ Values. How do your values inform your life goals? What in your mission could
help you live according to what you value most highly?
What you want out of life changes as you do, so make sure your personal mis-
sion remains flexible and open to revision. Think of your mission as a road map for
your personal journey. It can give meaning to your daily activities, promote responsi-
bility, and encourage you to take risks that lead you toward the long-term rewards
you’ve laid out. You will have a chance to craft a personal mission at the end of
this chapter.

Set Long-Term Goals

What do you want your life to look like in 5 or 10 years? What degree do you want to
earn, what job do you want, where do you want to live? How do you want to live your Values, Goals, and Time
values and activate your personal mission? Answers to questions like these help iden-
tify long-term goals.
Long-term goals are goals that sit out on the horizon, at least six months to
a year away. They’re goals that you can imagine and maybe even visualize, but
they’re too far away for you to touch. These are goals that outline the rewards you
want in a way that reflects who you are and what you value. The more you know
about yourself, the better able you are to set and work toward meaningful long-
term goals.
Defining long-term goals in terms of the risks needed to achieve them—in other
words, the steps that will take you toward them—makes them more reachable. For
example, suppose your long-term goal is to become a family doctor and build a
business in which you create opportunities to expose young people in your commu-
nity to the medical field. Now suppose you are in your first year at a community
college. You might prepare to move toward this reward with these one-year, long-
term goals:
■ Find and investigate medical practices in the area that could serve as a model for
your business.
■ Choose a major or certificate that builds toward a medical degree, and make sure
the credits will transfer to a bachelor’s degree program.

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