Am I misunderstanding what a mission is?

PutABabyInThat · 2022-10-18T19:22:49+00:00

Sounds like you're looking for that one simple goal that makes you feel like you've got all of your bases covered. Complete.

That's not how things work. You and the world are constantly changing. You're never going to be complete.

Your current mission, continuous exploration, accounts for that.

I think the reason you feel like your mission is lacking is because you're still stuck on the idea of one day, being able to just wrap things up and be done.

De_Carabas_of_Below · 2022-10-18T19:59:40+00:00

Perhaps your mission should be... finding your mission?

northwest_iron · 2022-10-18T19:30:23+00:00

"my mission seems to be *insert vague container words that don't really mean anything other than I am dissatisfied with my current state*"

A few thoughts to offer.

You can tell a man's mission by having him keep a log of where he spends his time. Show me a man's logged time, and I'll show you his true values and true mission.
1. Example: A man spends hours a day on social media and porn, and invests perhaps half an hour into his stated "mission." The "mission" isn't that half hour project, it's numbing himself and escaping his reality.
When you set aside the idea of a higher power that can ascribe your life meaning, life has no inherent meaning. The universe is neutral, neither for nor against you. All missions are an invented meaning to give life meaning, whether that meaning is worthwhile putting in the work to overcome whatever struggles you've been given is up to you.
1. Note: It is also meaningless that life has no meaning outside of a higher power.
2. Morality is itself ascribing meaning, when inventing your mission, looking for where you are ascribing morality to meaning.
The historical figures we tend to remember best are the ones who produced a body of work that lasted past their time. Politicians that enacted pivotal social change, prolific authors, industry leading scientists. When selecting a mission, ask yourself, what body of work will this mission produce, and will that body of work still be useful once I die.
You are likely gifted in one or more areas in your life, areas where you find pleasure in doing work that others don't, or interest in areas where other don't. Developing your skills in this areas may come easier to you, and produce more satisfaction. Since you are 37, with ED and a penchant to mentally masturbate on reddit, you've likely numbed yourself to these natural inclinations, or closed them off to pursue paths in life that others have chosen for you or directed your towards.
Revisiting your childhood can help uncover these natural inclinations, and from them developing and combining these interests can produce a unique mission, one that you are uniquely gifted for.

But just tell me what to do:

Review your childhood for natural inclinations. Reflect on your life for unique gifts, talents, and natural interests. Speculate on how these could be developed and combined in ways that are interesting to you. Start doing the work developing these skills. Look towards leaving behind a body of work, or just producing a body of work in general. Read Mastery by Robert Greene. Stop posting on most of the subreddits you post to.

redpillruminations · 2022-10-18T19:24:59+00:00

Find me a better mission than knowing yourself.

redwall92 · 2022-10-19T11:00:04+00:00

Guys swapping notes. Here's a guy's notes on this topic you might find beneficial.

https://news.lettersofnote.com/p/beware-of-looking-for-goals-look

Excerpt:

So how does a man find a goal? Not a castle in the stars, but a real and tangible thing. How can a man be sure he’s not after the “big rock candy mountain,” the enticing sugar-candy goal that has little taste and no substance?

bussiinesstravel · 2022-10-19T00:38:09+00:00

Self-improvement is not a mission. Self-improvement itself is an abstract of the day-to-day grind that you need to be focusing on (RE: sidebar, lifting, and living life). The better question you need to ask yourself is what do you want from your life - period. Are you doing the things you want to do for yourself, or for someone else? The general term 'mission' has always been so wishy-washy for me. You should already have goals that you are persuing, along with adding new ones along the way of your achievements.

Rifleshoot · 2022-10-18T21:46:33+00:00

Self improvement is rarely a mission unto itself, unless you are a bodybuilder or something. It’s a tool to support what you really want to do. When I was a single man in college, my mission was to graduate, get a good job, buy a house, get married and have children. I’ve accomplished that. My mission now? To develop a more robust social circle and fill out my schedule with more social events. And I’ve stated that directly to my wife and you know what happened? She actually actively worked to help achieve that goal. A large part of our current social circle comes from her. Women are looking for a man to set the course and help him to accomplish the mission. So you’ve got to have some direction that you are going to lead your family in, and that’s your mission.

Your mission is what you actually want to accomplish in your life. Maybe self improvement is your overriding goal in life, but to me, it’s a means to an end.

Red_Omelas · 2022-10-19T09:51:53+00:00

Personally, my mission didn't click until I read The Unchained Man. He has some exercises. Your mileage may vary, but I had already read Pook, and was still lost. TUM is what helped me figure it out.

adeptintact · 2022-10-19T18:45:42+00:00

I disagree with some in that self-improvement can be a part of your mission. It's mine also in the sense that I want to be the best version of myself always. Then to lead in my family in all ways.

Within that mission I have certain goals I'm working on in all aspects of my life to achieve that mission. I see it as a lifelong pursuit.

Sometimes it doesn't have to be about being happy. It's the day to day of working toward your goals and mission that provides life fulfillment.

Title	Am I misunderstanding what a mission is?
Author	hausofedd
Upvotes	14
Comments	25
Date	October 18, 2022 6:40 PM UTC (3 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askMRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/askMRP/comments/y7f44e/am_i_misunderstanding_what_a_mission_is/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askMRP/am-i-misunderstanding-what-a-mission-is.1135911 https://theredarchive.com/post/1135911

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