Imagine this: You're looking back five years from now. What would make you say: "That was worth it. That made a difference. That was my best work"?

Your Mission is your long-term focus—the key result or impact you want to achieve in the next 3–5 years. It defines your direction and helps you focus your efforts on what truly matters most.

Examples:

• Microsoft: CEO Satya Nadella shifted Microsoft’s mission to “empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” This refocused the company on cloud services and collaboration, fueling massive growth.
• Airbnb: During tough times, Airbnb refocused their mission on “helping people belong anywhere”—leading them to simplify offerings and double down on unique stays, which helped the business recover and grow.
• Team Example: A marketing team set a 5-year mission to become the top content authority in their industry. This guided their projects—focusing on research-driven articles, strategic partnerships, and audience growth campaigns.
• Personal Growth Example: An individual set a 5-year mission to become a recognized leader in their field. This shaped their focus on mastering key skills, building a strong network, and consistently sharing valuable insights through speaking, writing, and teaching.
• Personal Growth Example: An individual set a 5-year mission to achieve financial independence. This shaped their focus on saving aggressively, investing consistently, and building side income streams over time.

Reflection & Tips:

• For Yourself:
  • What result would make me proud in 5 years?
  • If I could only accomplish one big thing, what should it be?
  • Write your mission somewhere you see it daily—review it weekly to stay focused.
• For Your Team or Business:
  • What outcome unites and motivates us?
  • Does our mission help us say 'yes' or 'no' to new opportunities?

Pro Tip: Keep your mission simple, specific, and meaningful—so it’s easy to remember and apply in everyday decisions.

Your mission isn’t just a statement—it’s the focus that keeps you moving in the right direction, no matter the distractions.

Imagine this: You’ve defined your long-term Mission—now ask yourself: “What are the few big projects I must focus on in the coming years to turn my Mission into reality?”

Vital Moves are the 3 to 5 key projects or focus areas that drive meaningful progress toward your Mission. These moves guide your focus over the coming years—they bridge your long-term vision and your execution.

Examples:

• Microsoft: To support its mission, Microsoft prioritized Vital Moves like expanding Azure (cloud computing), acquiring LinkedIn and GitHub (to empower professionals), and integrating AI into productivity tools like Microsoft 365.
• Airbnb: To deliver on its mission of “helping people belong anywhere,” Airbnb focused on simplifying the booking experience, launching Airbnb Experiences, and building trust features like host verification and reviews.
• Team Example: To become the top content authority in their industry, the marketing team identified Vital Moves like launching a research-backed blog, building a newsletter audience, hosting a monthly webinar series, and collaborating with industry influencers.
• Personal Growth Example: To become a recognized leader in their field, an individual focused on publishing thought pieces on LinkedIn, speaking at niche events, developing an online course, and mentoring younger professionals in their industry.

Reflection & Tips:

• For Yourself:
  • What 3–5 major projects will have the biggest long-term impact on my Mission?
  • Which moves deliver the highest return on time and effort?
  • Give your Vital Moves clear, motivating names—like “Launch Online Business,” “Financial Freedom Plan,” or “Master Health Foundations.”
• For Your Team or Business:
  • What strategic initiatives will significantly advance our Mission?
  • Which projects offer the greatest leverage without overwhelming the team?

Pro Tip: Vital Moves aren’t short-term to-do’s—they’re your key long-term projects that deserve focus and consistent progress.

Your calendar may be full—but only Vital Moves create real movement.

Timing Tip: Not all Vital Moves need to happen at the same time. Some projects may have dependencies—one must be completed before another can begin (like laying the foundation before building the house). Others can run in parallel, especially if they involve different resources or teams.

Ask yourself:

• “Which Vital Moves must come first to unlock others?”
• “Which projects can move forward in parallel without creating overload?”

This step ensures you focus on the right Vital Move at the right time—avoiding overwhelm and speeding up your progress toward the Mission.

Additional Tip: Use tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm or refine your Vital Moves. You can ask questions like:

• “What are common high-impact projects for [your goal/industry]?”
• “Which types of projects often deliver the highest long-term results in [your area]?”
• “What potential risks or blind spots might I overlook in these projects?”

This external perspective can help you pressure-test your ideas before you commit your time and energy.

Imagine this: You’ve identified your Vital Moves—now ask: “What specific results can I achieve in the next 90 days to build real momentum?”

Progress Goals are your short-term, focused objectives—specific outcomes to accomplish in the next quarter. They break your big projects into clear, achievable steps that move your Mission forward.

Examples:

• Microsoft: To advance Azure, a Progress Goal might be “Increase Azure market share by 5% through targeted enterprise campaigns this quarter.”
• Airbnb: To improve the booking experience, Airbnb could set a quarterly goal like “Redesign the booking interface and launch globally by the end of Q2.”
• Team Example: For their content authority goal, the marketing team might set Progress Goals such as “Publish 12 long-form articles and grow the email list by 2,000 subscribers this quarter.”
• Personal Growth Example: For becoming a leader in their field, an individual might set quarterly goals like “Deliver two keynote talks and publish one expert article per month for the next 3 months.”

Reflection & Tips:

• For Yourself:
  • What 3 outcomes would make this quarter a true success?
  • Which Progress Goals directly advance my Vital Moves?
  • Use clear language: “I will [result] by [date], measured by [metric].”
• For Your Team or Business:
  • What results can we realistically deliver in the next 90 days?
  • Are our Progress Goals specific, measurable, and clearly linked to Vital Moves?

Pro Tip: You can split your Progress Goals across different Vital Moves—or focus all your energy on one, depending on your priorities and capacity this quarter.

Progress without clarity is luck. Progress with clear goals is leadership.

Imagine this: You’ve set your quarterly Progress Goals—now ask: “What are the 3 most important results I can achieve this week to move forward?”

Weekly Wins are your focused, outcome-driven actions for the week. They break down your Progress Goals into small, achievable steps—keeping you on track through consistent, purposeful execution.

Examples:

• Microsoft: To boost Azure’s market share, Microsoft’s Weekly Wins might include “Finalize campaign messaging for enterprise clients,” “Launch targeted LinkedIn ads,” and “Meet with top regional partners.”
• Airbnb: To improve the booking experience, Airbnb’s team could focus on Weekly Wins like “Conduct 5 user tests,” “Refine homepage prototype,” and “Review backend performance improvements.”
• Team Example: The marketing team pursuing their content authority goal might set Weekly Wins like “Outline next blog post,” “Prepare webinar slides,” and “Reach out to two industry partners.”
• Personal Growth Example: An individual aiming to lead in their field might set Weekly Wins such as “Draft keynote speech outline,” “Schedule two networking calls,” and “Publish LinkedIn article draft.”

Reflection & Tips:

• For Yourself:
  • What 3 Weekly Wins would create meaningful momentum?
  • Am I focusing on results, not just tasks?
  • Keep your Weekly Wins visible—review them daily to stay aligned.
• For Your Team or Business:
  • What specific results will move our key projects forward this week?
  • Are we choosing wins that align directly with our Progress Goals?

Team Momentum Tip: Use your weekly team meeting to review progress, set new Weekly Wins together, and celebrate small victories. A short check-in keeps everyone aligned and makes progress feel rewarding—fueling ongoing motivation.

Pro Tip: Keep a simple Weekly Wins Tracker—whether it’s a notebook, digital tool, or project management app. Progress becomes easier when you can *see* it build week after week.

Focus your week. Win your week. Repeat.

Imagine this: You’ve identified your Weekly Wins—now ask yourself each morning: “What’s the single most important thing I must accomplish today to make progress?”

The 1–2–3 Rule is your simple daily focus system. It helps you avoid distractions by structuring your day around clear priorities—ensuring you make steady progress without burning out.

• 1 Most Important Task (MIT): The key task that moves your goals forward.
• 2 Medium Tasks: Supporting tasks that contribute to your Weekly Wins.
• 3 Quick Wins: Small, simple tasks that build momentum or clear space.

Examples:

• Microsoft: For an Azure campaign, a daily focus could look like:
  • MIT: Finalize enterprise pitch deck.
  • 2 Medium Tasks: Draft campaign emails; Review ad performance.
  • 3 Quick Wins: Reply to partner emails; Schedule social posts; Organize campaign assets.
• Airbnb: For improving bookings:
  • MIT: Review and approve homepage redesign draft.
  • 2 Medium Tasks: Analyze user feedback; Meet with the design team.
  • 3 Quick Wins: Update internal project board; Send feature update email; Review test data.
• Team Example: For the marketing team:
  • MIT: Write draft for the next blog post.
  • 2 Medium Tasks: Prepare newsletter content; Confirm webinar guest.
  • 3 Quick Wins: Check analytics; Reply to reader questions; Update content calendar.
• Personal Growth Example: For an individual aiming for leadership:
  • MIT: Prepare slides for upcoming keynote talk.
  • 2 Medium Tasks: Write LinkedIn post draft; Reach out to a mentor.
  • 3 Quick Wins: Review online course module; Organize notes; Confirm meeting times.

Reflection & Tips:

• For Yourself:
  • What is my Most Important Task (MIT) today?
  • Am I balancing focus and momentum (MIT + supporting tasks + quick wins)?
  • Plan your day before it starts—ideally at the end of the previous day.
• For Your Team or Business:
  • Does each team member know their MIT for today?
  • How can we help each other focus on progress instead of distractions?

Pro Tip: Always tackle your MIT first—before emails, meetings, or distractions steal your best energy. Protect that focus time like it’s non-negotiable.

One great task completed beats ten half-finished ones.