Photo from Flickr Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccstb/

Knowing what you want is only half the journey—
knowing what’s driving you is the half that will get you there.

~ Danielle LaPorte

In my last post, I shared some of my story and how it illustrates what I call “liberation-based livelihood.” I defined this as one in which you consistently return to your core intention and see how what you are doing for work is in some way an expression of that intention.

So how do you find your core intention? How can you discern your passion and purpose on the planet? One fun way to do this is by identifying one or two qualities that make up the very core of who you are, and then use those to create your own mission statement. Because having a personal mission statement is such an important part of so many dimensions of a liberated life – including livelihood – how to create one is the focus of today’s post.

Let’s begin with this simple exercise. Look at the list of verbs below. As you look at each word, say it aloud and allow a full minute to absorb how much you resonate with that particular quality. Then write a number next to that word, using a rating scale of 1 to 5. If you feel nothing at all about the word, give it a 1. If you’re ready to jump out of your chair because you feel so in tune with that quality, give it a 5.

• Bridging
• Brightening
• Communicating
• Connecting
• Creating
• Discovering
• Embracing
• Encouraging
• Giving
• Healing
• Integrating
• Leading
• Learning
• Loving
• Organizing
• Relating
• Remembering
• Restoring
• Teaching

And you may find there are some powerful verbs not included on this list that you want to add. Go for it!

Now look at your numbers – every word that you’ve rated with a 4 or 5 should make it into your mission statement. As I shared in my story from last week, my key words are “discovering” and “connecting.” These words describe both what makes me feel most alive as well as how I am here to serve others. I am at my best when I embody discovery and connection and when I am helping other people to discover and connect.

These words can become the foundation of your personal mission statement. You can go deeper into this exercise and play with this “Mission Statement Builder” on the Franklin Covey website – you’ll be guided through a series of 10 questions and at the end it will generate your personal mission statement.

Once you’ve come up with your mission statement, consider how much your current work situation allows you to experience these qualities. If your answer is a resounding “yes,” you’re on the right path and have successfully created liberation-based livelihood. If it’s not so clear how your work is related to your mission statement, it’s likely that you may be feeling in a rut or in need of a change. If there is no presence of it, you’re probably feeling burned out.

I really love what Pamela Slim says in this post about having a “deep commitment to a cause or problem that is bigger than any job title or profession or business.” That is exactly what a personal mission statement is meant to help you do. Pam offers two examples of women who got clear on their life mission and then translated it into inspiring work. One defined her purpose to strengthen the bond between parents and children; the other is making the world more accessible to more people.

See what magic you can do in your life once you get clear on your mission – I think you’ll be amazed.

Next: Three Pathways to Liberation-Based Livelihood

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Want to learn more about Liberation-based Livelihood? You might just love my “Fall in Love with Your Work” e-course where we go into much more depth to help you find your core intention and then build a livelihood based on it. Find out more here.