Know where you are going in life! To achieve that, there's only one place to start that's inside your mind.

Creating a vision and a mission of what you want out of life will provide you with some direction and momentum to move forward and manage your career.

If you have laid out your goal and a plan with a realistic and worthy vision for your life ahead, you will notice how differently you perceive and react to things.

A compelling vision will make you feel good about yourself. Also, it leaves you with a clear mind, which allows you to make rational career choices and decisions and fit them in your scheme of things, keeping the bigger picture in mind. Ask yourself the following question:

What do I really want to get out of life?

A true mission has to express your purpose for existence. Here we have devised a series of questions for you to ask yourself. These questions will probe your mind and help you get valuable insights. You can aim at some soul searching and seeking answers to those unanswered questions.

Take the time now, and spend 30 minutes answering them before you move on.

- When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- Name three people who have had the biggest influence on your life and why?
- If you could do anything for a living and get paid whatever you wanted, what would you do?
- Name your top three achievements of your life so far?
- What was so special about them?
- When you are at your most happiest in life? What are you doing?
- Name three people that you admire the most?
- Why do you admire them? What characteristics and qualities do they have?
- Have you ever done anything for anyone less fortunate than yourself?
- If yes, what was it? If no, why not?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What could you do in life to maximize your strengths?
- Is there anything that you would be willing to put everything on the line for?
- What would it be and why?
- If you could have your time over again, what would you have done so far?
- What results are you currently having in your life, which you are pleased with?
- What results are you currently having in your life which you are not pleased with?
- If you could pass on a piece of wisdom to the whole world that you have learned in your life to date, what would it be?
- What do you value the most in your life?
- What would you really like to do with your life?

This exercise will get you thinking ... really thinking... Answer these questions honestly, that's very important, or exercise would be either futile or the results misleading.

We all have had dreams and aspiration while growing up, but somehow we lose them as we get caught up in the wheel of life. Our aspirations take a back seat and our commitments and responsibilities take over.

Now is the time to start from scratch again and achieve that heavenly feeling called contentment! Take a glance over your answers to these questions and then move on to the questions that follow.

Q. The purpose of my life is to.

Writing a mission statement can be a very enriching experience and it is better to think it through and not rush through it. It's your very purpose of existence that you are laying down after all!

If possible you should try and get away from your routine environment. Go for a walk, or take a short break - your mission in life is far too important to be skimmed over.

When people lack a mission in life, they tend to just have materialistic goals and want 'things'. Not that it is wrong. Material things can only serve as a means but confusing the means to be the end can create problems later on.

Here's an example.

Charles, a 55-year old bachelor, had till now thought he had lived a full life. His glass factories are now spread across six countries, churning out more and more money. He has properties across the globe, and lives life as he wants to.

But something happened when he became 55 years old. He discovered he had cancer, a brain tumor that will only give him 6 more months to live. Undergoing treatments, he was cut off from the web of activities and people he was previously involved in.

During this period he met some people who were also suffering from the same disease as he was. But his 'new' friends had other problems. They were actively making plans as to what they should do in the next six or seven months so that their family will miss them less.

It was thus suddenly one day that Charles realized he had nothing to leave to anyone. The Managing Director of his company had as such been the one running his business and he will continue to do so.

His passing away was not going to make a difference to anyone. That was a really sad realization, but there was not much now that Charles could do.

You might not understand the full meaning of Charles's realization, however, the bottom lines are 'what difference has our life made' what will we be leaving behind for our family, society, world? If it was nothing much, then how do we say our life had been a success? If you are going to end up with superficial goals, they might make you happy in the present but when you have achieved it all, you still might end up asking yourself 'Is that all there is?'

We have time in our hands now, and we can make a difference. There's another exercise to help you plan. How about penning down your obituary?

Yes, it might seem a little too early to write that, but penning down what you want the world to remember you by can really help you set a higher bar for yourself. This is an ideal way to get you to think about what you want to do in your life time. As you look back on your life, you may find that your goals and desires may have been a bit skewed. Hang on! This is how the revelations will come through and get your life in perspective for you.

Instances which you brush off as usual happenings in your life, might strike out and appear in a different light if you look at them this way. Make sure your priorities are in place.

For starters, answer these...

- What do you want to be remembered for when you pass on?
- What has your life been about?
- Have you made any difference in others lives?

This is where we end our first module. Hope you did find some answers, and things are clear and in focus.

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