1. The Mission Statement
Developing your mission statement is one of the most important things that you will do because this is the cornerstone of your organization and plan. Without this there is no road map!
Without a clear mission statement that is clearly understood by all within your organization, eventually you will find yourself working very hard, but trying to do too much. Which brings me to the most important part about your mission statement: you can’t be or do everything for everybody and every animal. Keep your mission focused. Start simple with best practices and achievable goals for your environment.
You can always add to your mission statement as the organization grows. Also, you don’t have to start working on all aspects of your mission statement at the same time. It can be developed one part at a time. All parts of the mission statement should be the framework for growth.

2. Make the Commitment
Now that you have worked through the ‘what have I done’ and have sorted out ‘what it is we are going to do’, you are armed and dangerous, set to go with “the mission statement” ….but you can’t ignore how consuming this project has become and that other things in your life have begun suffer. I know you are certainly sleeping less and feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day.
SO…at this point my advice is: don’t start this unless you can devote yourself to this like a job or a second job.

3. Work the Program Consistently
Work the consistently, not when you feel like it or it is easy. The program can’t get going unless it is worked. Someone must move it forward every day. Just randomly working on it and putting it out there as “a great idea,” hoping someone is going to run with it, isn’t going to get anything done. From the start, you must plan to work hard, be flexible, capable of dealing with frustration, and not do this for your ego. In the beginning, it takes workers who give their expertise and professional service free, not volunteers who want to “help-out” – that comes later.

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