What's Your Mission
Guest Blog by: Gail Rastorfer
Getting a handle on our productivity, having a game plan, doing our due diligence, knowing how we spend our money and sticking to a budget so we can thrive personally and professionally, taking an active role in our own careers instead of waiting by the phone OR waiting to be asked to 'join the party' AND knowing what 'party' we want to join!
The sooner we come to realize we are the OWNERS of our business and get in touch with the basic 1-2-3's of creating and maintaining a small business the sooner we can empower ourselves and begin to have more control over our dreams, goals, egos...the list goes on.
A few years back I was working in Cleveland on a wonderful show and was introduced to an actress who not only became a dear friend but my 'coaching mentor'. We spent time after the shows sharing a drink and sharing our love of helping artists find their way. She invited me to sit in on a seminar she was giving to some acting students at the local university.
At the very beginning of the seminar she stressed the importance of the Mission Statement and encouraged everyone in the room to have one. From that day on I started researching the Mission Statement. Crafting a Mission Statement is great first step in taking control of your career. Every solid and well-run business has one. Why don't you?
A mission statement will help you specify what you wish to do and where you would like your artistry to lead you. A mission statement can help you decide whether or not you take on a project. A mission statement will help you stay the course in lean times and help you define what success is for YOU and you alone.
And don't worry as we change, as our lives change our mission statement can change. Actually, whether you're an actor or not, I think writing a mission statement is a wonderful exercise in how you wish to walk through the world.
Here are a couple of questions to get you started on creating your own Mission Statement:
- What is your big dream? How do you strive to make the world/ your community/industry better by doing what you do?
- Try to make your statement strong, active and one that's not dependent on anyone but yourself for success.