Step 3.2: Are You On A Mission?
Your MISSION is what you make possible in the world. What you’re changing.
I often try to understand if someone is on a mission - doing what they do because they believe in it - or if they’re a mercenary - doing it for the money. There's a fundamental difference between people who show up to collect a paycheck and those who show up to change the world. You can spot it within minutes.
Mission-driven people have a fire in their eyes. They're not watching the clock – they're watching the impact meter. They're not asking "what's in it for me?" but "how can we make this bigger?" These are the people who will work through weekends not because their boss demanded it, but because the problem they're solving won't let them sleep at night.
Mercenaries? They're playing a different game. They'll jump ship for a 10% raise. They'll optimize for short-term gains over long-term impact. They'll do what's required, not what's possible. Nothing wrong with that – it's just business, right?
Wrong.
In today's world, being a mercenary is actually the riskier play. Why? Because when AI can handle the routine work, when outsourcing can cut costs, when startups can disrupt entire industries overnight – the only sustainable advantage is giving a damn.
Your MISSION is what you make possible that wasn't possible before. It's the change you're driving. The future you're building. The problem you're solving that keeps you up at night and gets you up in the morning.
Look at the great companies. SpaceX isn't just launching rockets – they're making humanity multiplanetary. Patagonia isn't just selling jackets – they're saving our home planet. Their Mission infuses everything they do, from product design to hiring decisions to marketing strategies. Have you ever seen Rick Steves’ European travel shows on PBS? His mission is even simpler - “Get Americans to travel beyond Orlando” (More about his story here)
But here's the real kicker: A true Mission isn't just about what you do – it's about what you make possible for others. It's about the ripple effects. The domino impacts. The lives changed not just by your work, but by the change your work creates in the world.
Your Playbook - want to know if you're on a real Mission? Ask yourself:
Would you still do this work if you couldn't tell anyone about it?
Does the problem you're solving matter enough that you'd want your kids to continue it?
If money wasn't a factor, would you still show up tomorrow?
Your Mission is your contract with the future. Make it count. Because in the end, mercenaries make money, but missionaries make history.