“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2
Reinventing life one mission at a time
Chances are there are at least a few sources of discontentment in your life. That’s okay, we all have them. The question is, are we actively doing something about it?
For me a large source of displeasure stems from my past propensity to make decisions based on cultural norms rather than personal convictions. Looking back I can see this tendency to conform peppering my decisions all along – far more often than I realized. The effects on my finances, contentment, and spirit have grown unbearable – so I am making a change.
Examples of decisions I regret
- taking on student loan debt without true purpose or direction
- buying too much house with no down payment
- working a job for money rather than living a mission centered life
- buying way more clothes than necessary
- financing vehicles
- getting into credit card debt
- etc, etc, etc…
I’m sure I have others, but this list will be enough to get me started down a path of change. Perhaps you can relate.
Because fast and furious change is rarely sustainable, I plan to adopt change slowly, over time, with calculated planning and patience.
Be part of something bigger than yourself
Albert Einstein said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Rather than regret the past, let’s focus on reclaiming the present and working toward a better future. It’s never too late to make a change.
Beginning November 1st, 2010, I will embark on month long missions to facilitate change and growth based on personal conviction.
I will start with 12 missions, reevaluate my position, and go from there. The missions will focus on increasing freedom, living with purpose, and helping others. The missions will pull me away from working strictly for money, conforming for the sake of conforming, limited personal freedom, and ignoring the needs of others.
A few initial ideas for the month long missions include:
- The wardrobe mission. Purpose = paring down my wardrobe, retraining my mind according to need rather than consumption, gifting items to the needy and/or selling to reduce personal debt, and helping others do the same.
- The bible mission. Purpose = to get closer to God by immersing myself in His Word and choosing to do so over past-times that are less important such as TV, sports, and other pleasures. For those who wish to join, here is the reading schedule.
- The mobile phone mission. Purpose = determining need, reducing costs, finding free or low cost alternatives, simplifying life, gifting part of net proceeds to needy and/or reduce personal debt, and helping others do the same.
- The selling big stuff mission. Purpose = reducing possession, simplifying life, reducing costs, gifting part of net proceeds to needy and/or reduce personal debt, and helping others do the same.
- The no TV mission. Purpose = no TV, reducing ad intake, focusing on what is important, drawing guidelines for future use, and using some of the gained time for volunteer work.
- The sabbatical mission. Purpose = travel for a month straight, as cheap as possible, to visit and help others and to have adventure.
More missions will be revealed and detailed leading up to their launch date.
These missions are not for everyone
I do not pretend to think this sort of change is useful for all… it is not. DFA Missions are created for those seeking similar change in their own lives. It’s for people fed up with the status quo and seeking personal revolution. It’s for people with similar desire, who up till now have been missing a catalyst for change… this is that catalyst.
If this sort of thing kindles a fire of passion inside you, consider joining and living out your own mission. Those who feel like this idea is helpful are encouraged to define their own rules, and can also use the group as a resource for ideas and encouragement.
If this isn’t for you, no hard feelings, I wish everyone the best on their journey.
Encouragement from others
Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity…
“It’s hard to say where these missions will take Matt, or anyone else who joins the ranks, but rethinking past decisions to live a life of pointed purpose can never hurt… I say go for it!” – Chris
Bob Lotich of Christian PF…
“I believe that the most exciting, joyful, and fulfilling life comes from diligently obeying God’s plan for our lives. As we take the plunge to give all we have to the Lord, we will find that all of our needs are met, people’s lives will be changed for the better, and God will be glorified. I appreciate what Matt is doing with DFA Missions and encourage you to get involved in any way you can!” – Bob
JD Roth of Get Rich Slowly…
“Living with purpose is the best way to get more out of life. When you have a goal or a mission, it makes every decision easier. Matt’s missions are a great way to bring focus and clarity to your finances — and your life.” – JD
Levels of commitment
If you are hesitant to participate based on whatever… don’t be. The idea is for each of us to create our own personal missions, not for me to create a mission that works for everyone. The idea is to share passion and ideas to help each other succeed.
Tools for members
Hmmm, I’m still figuring this one out, so bear with me. What are your ideas? Will email suffice? Your input is both welcomed and encouraged. So far, my ideas are limited to internal forums or simply leaving each other comments on the individual posts for each mission.
What do you think?