“A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being; but whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.” – James Allen

Like the “chicken or the egg” idea, it’s easy to get confused between “mission and vision”. We’ve got a simple and clear answer to this dilemma. Like the chicken and the egg, vision and mission are inextricably linked and individually valuable. It doesn’t really matter which comes first because they both must exist and grow with each other simultaneously. If vision is a statement of where and individual or organization is going then mission is a statement of how they plan to get there. This statement to be effective must answer some essential questions. It must deal with; the recognition of who we are today, why our organization exists, what are the essential responsibilities for which we are willing to be held accountable and who are our major stakeholders and clients? Most importantly it should deal with our objectives and the reasons for them, including the underlying values and principles. [Read more…]