Search
-
August 25, 2020From CPA Focus Magazine – July/August 2020
Charting a course for success:
How to seek and sustain the best version of you
Have you ever stopped to think about the direction your life is headed? Even in the hectic world of public accounting, this thought has likely crossed your mind at some point during your professional career. A familiar proverb states, “If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.”
If you’re still figuring out what you stand for, I recommend creating a personal mission statement. Some of the greatest leaders I know regularly take time to reflect on where they have been, where they are and where they are going, both personally and professionally.
Whatever your aspirations, a personal mission statement can help you do just that. This type of guiding principle can help you accomplish your goals and chart a course for success for the future you. A personal mission statement can assist you in measuring progress toward what matters most while also uncovering areas that may need more focused attention. It can be a grounding force, helping you avoid distractions that pull your valuable time away from priorities.
If you don’t yet have a personal mission statement, it’s easy to create, and I want to help you do it. A personal mission statement should be easy to remember and guide your daily decisions.
My six-word mission statement is simply to “passionately serve God, family, seniors, community.” Since seven is a perfect number, I often add a last word that varies based on a particular season of life or a current challenge or opportunity to help further refine the statement. This short-and-sweet mission has shaped my entire professional life. Throughout my career, choosing organizations with a mission and leadership philosophy that align with my own has been an important consideration. While strong alignment is not always possible, finding it can make your career and work-life balance more fulfilling. I have found the greatest personal satisfaction and effectiveness when my personal mission, the organization’s written and unwritten mission and the leadership dynamic harmoniously converge to define and support my position and duties.
Shortly after I first joined BKD CPAs & Advisors, I noticed no CPA firms were serving senior living organizations in a substantial way throughout Oklahoma, so I started learning the industry and building a senior living practice at BKD. Finding mentors, both inside and outside the firm, became important to my initial learning and development.
I recall one mentor who had little knowledge of the senior living industry but was willing to be my advocate and encouraged me to further my specialized industry knowledge. This led me to attend seminars on improving revenue in senior living organizations and then to pursue accreditation as a licensed nursing home administrator, all while working full time in public accounting. This outside-the-box thinking even involved four months volunteering mornings at a nursing home and working my “day job” in the afternoons and evenings. I am so grateful for personal mentors who advocated on my behalf to further my personal mission. I became a partner at BKD within nine years because of the firm’s investment in me and I now want to pay these contributions forward to others.
As a partner at a public accounting firm but still guided by my unwavering personal mission, I began pursuing a master’s degree in theological studies. The degree program consisted of 18 hours a weekend, one weekend a month, 10 months a year, for three years. With such a rigorous study schedule, in addition to my normal work schedule and duties, maintaining a clear focus on my personal mission statement empowered me to avoid unnecessary distractions and prioritize what mattered most.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to serve seniors directly. This led to a career change that ultimately included serving in roles at a national therapy company and as the executive director/chief executive officer of retirement communities. My personal mission statement was vital in helping me discern when and where to make these important career changes. Similarly, it has guided my decisions concerning family as well, helping me remain present with loved ones throughout the challenges of balancing a career with family.
Further along in my personal mission, based on my desire to serve God and community, I went through faith formation and was ordained a minister in 2017. Becoming ordained and serving a church on the weekends meant yet another career change was necessary. Taking all the skills I had learned in the senior living industry, I rejoined public accounting to once again serve the communities that continue to support a growing population of seniors across the country.
I have now come full circle in my career, and my personal mission statement has kept me aligned with my priorities and goals throughout the changes. While your career will take its own path led by your specific priorities and goals, I personally can attest to how a personal mission statement, and regular reflection on that mission, can help keep your path pointing in the right direction. By taking time to regularly look back, around and forward, you can better assess whether your actions align with your mission. Being aware of when you are out of alignment can help you grow through a change in direction and ultimately achieve a more balanced, fulfilling life.
If you would like to develop your own personal mission statement, I invite you to join me at the OSCPA Summer Summit. We will have an interactive, thought provoking session to guide you through a clear and concise method for attaining personal and professional goals. I also will share insight on identifying and avoiding the distractions that can be detrimental to your personal journey, including a polite way of saying “no” to unimportant interruptions. By the end of the session, you will be better equipped to create balance by recognizing the importance of continually considering where your life is headed.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of BKD CPAs & Advisors.