A Swing Set With a Purpose

My daughter at 14. Swing sets are her "happy place."

 My daughter turned 15 last week and for her birthday we built a swing set. An unusual gift for a teen? Probably - but it was in sync with my mission statement – and though I didn’t know it at the time – it turned out to be the perfect gift.

My son at 17. Apparently teenage boys like swings, too.

Do you have a Mission Statement?

A personal one – not just a business one?  I keep reading about people who write strategic plans and they wonder why they didn’t do it sooner. Because apparently when we operate from a clear purpose, everything else falls into place – or so I’ve heard.

I recently created a strategic plan for my business and simultaneously sketched one out for my personal life, too. It’s been the ultimate in project management, stretching my brain from big pictures to tiny details.

Strategic Plan Basics

Vision

Mission & Purpose

Core Values

Strategies & Tactics

Goals & Objectives

I spent hours trying to differentiate Mission from Purpose. This article from the Disney Institute proved extremely helpful, as does this Simon Sinek Ted Talk. But don’t get tangled up in definitions (like I did) – just get some basic thoughts on paper and you’ll be on your way.   

Here It Is

My “purpose statement” is shaping up to be something super simple and stripped down – like:

JOY

Not the happiness that comes from a nice house or a good meal, but the deep down JOY that comes from living life abundantly.

My husband adds the finishing touches.

And this is where the Swing Set enters the Picture

I was thinking about my daughter and what brings her JOY, and images of her smiling and swinging came to mind. My husband and I agreed life was too short to worry about dead spots in the lawn and went to work on this swing set. It was completed just hours before her party.

A simple swing set with a simple purpose.

 Now it gets really Exciting!

This is what my new 15 year old has since been doing while on her swing:

Laughing with her brother

Playing outside

Singing

Studying

Talking with me

Jumping

Chatting with Grandpa

Enjoying a slice of birthday cake on her very own swing set.

I knew the swing set would bring her JOY. But I didn’t know the swing set would simultaneously address many of my other objectives: decreasing “screen” time, for example. 

If you’ve never considered a strategic plan for your personal life, give it a try. I can certainly attest that when you operate from purpose, things do fall into place.