A Mission that Doesn't Suck

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121120182236-3855351-be-on-a-mission-that-doesn-t-suck

I grabbed the last half of it...so it doesn't vanish.  a great article...

If you’re job hopping, serially starting companies, or constantly burned out, ask yourself: why is this happening? Chances are, it’s as simple as not being on a mission that you care about. When you’re really doing something you love, stress can actually improve productivity (this isn’t necessarily founded in science, just personal observation), whereas when you’re drudging along, stress compounds an already adverse circumstance.

In many volatile but financially rewarding markets (finance, technology, etc.), this effect is often even more pronounced. It’s "easy" to flock to the latest hot startup or company only to discover the primary reason you’re there is for the potential to cash out. This (sometimes) works great when things are going well, but is the surest way to discover your true intentions (or lack thereof) if things head south.

So what makes a mission that doesn’t suck?

The best missions, it would seem, are those keep you cranking day after day. They’re ambitious, improbable, and fundamentally thrilling. Some of the loftiest are missions that can never quite be fulfilled. Google’s famously is “to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Starbucks wants to “inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” Whole Foods believes that“companies, like individuals, must assume their share of responsibility as tenants of Planet Earth.”

This is some weighty stuff for companies that writes software, serve coffee, and sell organic food. But it works. JFK's mission in the 60's was to "commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

In these wordings or otherwise, it gives all its participants (employees, partners, customers, citizens) a profound sense of what these organizations are all about. Best of all, a great mission will attract like-minded individuals that want to go on the same journey.

Missions deservedly should be a little absurd and out of reach – if you could wave a magic wand, what would you have accomplished? And if your mission can be accomplished without such a feat, it’s probably not going to inspire you throughout bad times.

Whether for your company or your career, your mission is the ultimate North Star. It’s the framework that allows you to make decisions of what direction to go, why you want to be there in the first place, and perhaps even how you’ll get there. And it works universally; if you're in healthcare, energy, banking, manufacturing, technology, or any other industry, just make sure you're on a mission you care about.

In other words, be on a mission that doesn’t suck.