As winter lingers, do you find yourself just going through the day-to-day motions? Winter always moves me into much deeper reflection and even though my husband warns, “Don’t think, it hurts the team,” however, it is smart to reflect on what you want to get out of life. That brings me to the question, what is your mission?

Why are you here right now and how are you contributing to your world? Touchy feely stuff? Absolutely, but consider it. What is the essence of who you are and what you do? Stephen Covey, of Seven Habits of Highly Successful People fame, challenged us to articulate how we want to be remembered. What is your legacy?

It does not have to be hard. My job is to help create positive change and empower others to make their lives the best they can be.  So how can you empower yourself every day?

You can think about it in the morning and determine how you will behave during the day. For instance, my sister and I are expanding our confectionary business, and that process is a huge change for our employees and us. So we have made a concerted effort to keep everyone informed about the addition and giving tours of the new space. Those seeming simple efforts allow everyone to be part of the change in positive and inclusionary ways. It is empowering for all of us and, as a result, we are really excited about the next phase of our business.

You can think about what your life mission is and what you may need to change right now to help be in alignment with that goal. If you want to be a real leader at home or work, what does that mean?

How can you be a better problem-solver?

How can you handle difficult discussions more readily?

How can you not be so quick to anger and be calm during distressful times?

How can you be proactive with meaningful thought behind your actions?

Take some time and think about your real mission in life here and now. It will help, not hurt the team.