Summary

The author emphasizes the importance of focusing on an overarching life mission rather than individual projects to achieve greater fulfillment and resilience.

Abstract

The article "Don’t Focus on the Projects in Life" by Noah Nelson argues that while it's natural to have a list of projects one wants to accomplish, such as writing songs, books, or screenplays, the key to a meaningful life is to concentrate on a broader mission. Nelson suggests that this approach not only simplifies life but also provides a more profound sense of purpose, citing the example of Batman's mission to save Gotham City, which transcends any single endeavor. He acknowledges that while projects may fail, they contribute to learning and growth, ultimately serving the larger mission. Nelson reflects on his personal mission to become a successful writer, emphasizing that each piece of writing, whether good or bad, is a step towards his ultimate goal. He concludes by encouraging readers to consider their life mission and to view projects as mere milestones along that journey.

Opinions

Focusing on a life mission rather than individual projects allows for greater adaptability and resilience in the face of failure.
Projects serve as experiments or learning experiences that feed into the overarching mission.
A life mission provides a clear direction and helps prioritize actions that align with one's values and goals.
The success of individual projects is less important than their contribution to the mission.
Personal growth and the impact one leaves on the world are more significant when guided by a mission.
Engaging with one's mission can lead to a more fulfilling and memorable life, as it reflects one's true purpose and passion.

Don’t Focus on the Projects in Life

Instead, focus on your overall mission. This will help you in ways you’ll soon understand.

We all want to do so much in life. Take me for example. I want to:

Write songs for the radio.
Write books.
Write a screenplay.
Write a TV miniseries.
Write so much more.

All of this is possible. I could accomplish all of this at some point in my life, and I will. But I’m not focused on the projects.

I’m focused on the overall mission.

And you should be too. Here’s why:

You’ll Get More Out of Life If You Do

When you focus on an overall mission in life, then life become much easier to handle. But what could your mission be?

Make everyone happy.
Solve a world’s problem.
Make money.
Anything else.

It’s easy to focus on an overall mission when you don’t focus on the projects very well. Because one of them could fail.

If you want to make money, you will probably try to do so in many ways. Not all of them will work. Instead, you will fail, but then start again much stronger.

All of this plays into your mission of making money. It’s not the projects that matter; it’s the mission.

Take Batman for example. It’s his mission to save Gotham City from the Joker and other villains. Each way he does so is varied and almost forgotten. It’s his overall mission for peace from evil that helps him in the end.

That’s what people remember about Batman and other heroes. They remember their pact on the world, not how they got there.

Is this making sense? I hope it is for me too.

Take My Life’s Mission for Example

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and a great writer for that matter. I want to make people happy with my writing, keep them staying up all night reading and wanting more of my work.

Who knows how many articles or books I will ever write, but each one is a steppingstone to conquer my mission of becoming a great and successful writer. It’s all about the overall mission.

Much of my writing has been terrible thus far. Much of it has been good as well. But each project leads to an even better one and winning at my overall mission.

This all sounds a little confusing. It does for me too. But I promise it makes sense in the end.

Closing Thoughts

Having goals in life is great. It’s what keeps us going as humans. But having an overall mission is even better.

We are all here to leave the world better than we found it. We do that with a mission. The projects are just a stepping stone to that mission.

If you agree or disagree with me, I would love to know. Let me know if the comments, and while you’re doing so, let’s all focus on our mission in life.

The projects will just be along the way.

Noah Nelson is a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in journalism with minors in political science and history. He serves as a senior columnist for The Daily Illini, a writer on Medium and the host of his blog called Nothing But Noah. “Life: A Collection of Short Stories” is his first book available now on Amazon. Like what you read? You can write for Medium too!