The Power of Open Sourcing Your Mission

Being unusually transparent about who you are and what you want in life could make your life way easier. Here’s how to do it.

If you’re reading this, you probably have ambitious goals that you want to achieve as efficiently as possible.

One of the best ways I’ve found to achieve ambitious goals efficiently is by "open sourcing your mission," which involves publishing your goals, interests, and priorities for the world to see. 🌐

While this approach may not be suitable for everyone, it can help many people achieve their goals much faster by reducing interpersonal challenges, connecting with the right people, and minimizing the need for re-explaining things. Additionally, open sourcing your mission can create a sense of accountability, motivating you to stay committed to your objectives.

In this blog post, I share with you the key questions to answer in your open sourced mission and explore various platforms where you can share your answers. I also provide a step-by-step guide to open sourcing your mission and share a personal case study that demonstrates the benefits of this approach.

Let’s dive in!

Why Open Source Your Mission? 🤔

The idea of open sourcing your mission may seem daunting due to the fear of criticism or ridicule.

And open sourcing your mission may not be suitable for everyone, especially those who face ruthless competition or fear sabotage.

But for many people, open sourcing your mission can help you achieve your goals MUCH faster. ⏩

There are a few reasons why open sourcing your mission does this:

It helps you… ✅

1. Reduce Interpersonal Challenges 🌉: Miscommunication and incorrect assumptions can lead to numerous problems in both personal and professional relationships. By making your mission transparent, you minimize the chances of misunderstandings and allow for smoother collaboration.

2. Connect Faster with the Right People 🤝: When your goals and interests are clear, it becomes easier to find others who share your vision. This accelerates the process of forming valuable connections and working together on projects.

3. Spend Less Time Re-Explaining Things ⏳: Openly sharing your mission means people can learn about you and your goals without you having to explain yourself repeatedly. This saves time and energy, allowing you to focus on achieving your objectives.

4. Feel Accountable To Your Published Goals 🎯: By sharing your mission and goals with others, you create a sense of accountability. This motivates you to stay committed to your objectives and maintain focus on what truly matters.

By open-sourcing your mission, you can more quickly connect with those who might want to help you with that mission.

Key Questions to Answer in Your Open Sourced Mission ❓

To create an effective open sourced mission, it's important to address specific questions that give others a clear understanding of your goals, preferences, and capabilities. Here are the essential questions to answer in your mission, along with an explanation of why each question is important:

1. What do you most want in life? 🎯

   • Sharing your personal goals and aspirations establishes trust and allows others to understand your motivations, making it easier for them to support you in achieving your objectives.

2. What is your vision for the future of the world? 🌍

   • Clarifying the kind of future you want to build helps attract collaborators who share your vision, even if they may not be interested in every project you undertake.

3. What are you actually good at and love doing? 💪

   • Sharing your strengths and passions enables you to attract opportunities that align with your skills and interests, leading to a more fulfilling career and personal life.

4. What do you love outside of work? 💖

   • Connecting on a personal level is vital for building strong relationships. Sharing your hobbies and interests helps others relate to you and fosters a more enjoyable work environment.

5. Who is in your network and what other resources do you bring to the table? 🌐

   • Your network and resources can be valuable assets. By highlighting these, you showcase your ability to contribute beyond your skills and expertise.

6. How can people help you? 🤲

   • Many people struggle to ask for help, which can hinder their progress. By being transparent about the assistance you need, you make it easier for others to support you.

7. What kinds of people do you like to work with? 🤗

   • Identifying the types of people you enjoy collaborating with helps you build a team that shares your values and work style, increasing your chances of success.

8. What do you not want to be doing? 🚫

   • Answering this question helps prevent you from being placed in roles that don't match your skills or interests. It also allows others to better understand where they can complement your abilities.

9. How and how much would you like to be compensated? 💰

   • Being transparent about your preferred compensation methods and expectations simplifies negotiations and helps potential collaborators determine if they can afford to work with you.

10. What is your priority work and bandwidth? ⏰

    • Communicating your current priorities and availability helps manage expectations, preventing overcommitment and ensuring you can dedicate sufficient time to your most important tasks.

Addressing these questions in your open sourced mission provides a comprehensive picture of who you are, what you're striving for, and how others can collaborate with you effectively. This transparency fosters stronger connections, enables better decision-making, and ultimately contributes to your success in achieving your goals.

Your open sourced mission should help others get a picture of what you want the future to look like.

Where to Share Your Answers 📣

Choosing the right platform to share your open sourced mission is crucial for effectively reaching your target audience and promoting your personal brand. Here are some popular options for sharing your answers:

1. Personal Website: A personal website can be a great way to showcase your open sourced mission. You can make it a goal of your website design to make it as easy as possible for someone to know who you are and know if they should contact you to support your mission. Mine is at https://www.garysheng.com.

   

2. Personal Blog / Substack: Creating blog posts that showcase your mission can give you the opportunity to provide a more holistic view of your personal and professional life beyond a single about me site. My Substack right here, called America 2.0, self evidently shows that I am trying to help build what I call “America 2.0,” a vision which I begin to lay out in my “Foundational Tech Manifesto.”

3. Public Notion Pages: Notion has gained popularity as a versatile tool for creating and sharing content. You can create a public Notion page dedicated to your open sourced mission and provide a link for others to access it. This format is visually appealing and easy to update as your priorities or goals change. You can view my About Me Notion page here.

4. Social Media Profiles: While social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram may not be ideal for sharing your entire open sourced mission, you can use them to share key aspects or updates. Additionally, you can include links to your full mission (e.g., on your personal website or Notion page) in your social media profiles. My About Me Notion page is pinned in my About Me tweet thread at the top of my profile.

5. Email Signature: Consider adding a link to your open sourced mission in your email signature. This subtle approach makes it easy for recipients to access your mission while engaging with you directly. I link to my Substack, my personal website, my Twitter, and LinkedIn all in my email signature.

Steps to Open Source Your Mission 📋

Open sourcing your mission can significantly improve your personal and professional life by fostering transparency, creating opportunities for collaboration, and accelerating your progress toward your goals. To effectively open source your mission, follow these steps:

1. Reflect on Your Goals and Values 🤔: Spend time contemplating your long-term objectives, values, and vision, and answer the questions in the “Key Questions to Answer in Your Open Sourced Mission” section of this blog post. Be honest with yourself about what truly matters to you and what you hope to achieve.

2. Create a Clear and Concise Mission ✍️: Once you've identified your goals and values, create a clear and concise mission that accurately reflects your priorities. Include both personal and professional aspects to provide a comprehensive picture. There are multiple ways to craft a mission, but make sure it answers most if not all of the "Key Questions to Answer in Your Open Sourced Mission.”

3. Choose the Right Platform 🌐: Select the most appropriate platform to share your mission, such as a personal blog, About Me page, or a Notion document. Make sure the platform is easily accessible to your target audience.

4. Promote Your Mission 📢: Share your mission with your network, on social media, and with relevant communities. Encourage feedback and engage in discussions with others who share your interests.

5. Update Regularly 🔄: Keep your mission up-to-date to reflect any changes in your goals, interests, and priorities. Regular updates demonstrate your commitment to personal growth and development.

Take time to reflect on your goals and values so you can create a clear and concise mission that you can be proud to open source.

A Personal Case Study: The Benefits of Open Sourcing My Mission 🚀

To illustrate the power of open sourcing your mission, let me share my own experience as a case study. Since I started openly sharing my mission (in short: to accelerate human and ecological flourishing in the US and around the globe), I've noticed several significant improvements in my personal and professional life:

1. Efficient Introductions ⏱️: I now spend considerably less time explaining who I am and what I'm about. After brief introductions, I simply share resources like my About Me page or my Substack. This allows people to learn more about me at their own pace, without needing me to reiterate information I've already refined and shared publicly.

2. Attracting the Right Connections 🔗: Open sourcing my mission has led to a significant increase in the number of like-minded individuals reaching out to me. With so much information about me and my goals available online, people can easily gauge whether we share similar interests and values, leading to more meaningful connections.

3. Improved Time Management and Focus ⏰: Being transparent about my priorities and limitations has resulted in a reduction of conflicts and distractions. In the past, I would often agree to tasks that I didn't have the time or inclination to complete, believing that saying yes to everything would lead to positive outcomes. Instead, this approach often led to dropped balls and a sense of being overwhelmed. By open sourcing my mission, I can now set clear boundaries and focus on activities that align with my goals and strengths.

By sharing my mission, I've experienced firsthand the transformative power of transparency and open communication. My case study demonstrates that open sourcing your mission can lead to better time management, more meaningful connections, and a greater sense of focus in both your personal and professional life.

Conclusion: Start Working On Open Sourcing Your Mission Today 🌟

Open sourcing your mission is a simple yet powerful way to accelerate your progress toward your goals.

While open sourcing your mission may not be suitable for everyone, for those who can embrace it, the benefits are undeniable.

Take the leap and explore the power of open sourcing your mission.

You will be surprised at the opportunities that await you as you embrace the power of transparency. 💫