The importance of having a mission, vision and values as a teen
As a teenager, life comes at you hard and fast. If you're not ready, you can quickly find yourself in a place you never intended, as did the young girl pictured here to the left. Not only was she not ready, she also didn't have the support system she needed to encourage her to get ready. She didn't know who she was, but she did have an idea of where she wanted to go, although she had no clue how to get there. Much like a baby giraffe wandering in the dark, she bumped into whatever came her way, often resulting in unfortunate outcomes like suspension, expulsion, police run-ins, and a very narrow, near miss for graduating high school on time alongside her peers.
This young girl is me, Jessica Villegas, founder of Hi-Lite Coaching + Consulting and it is because of my 14-year-old self, compounded with the clear need in today's world, that Hi-Lite exists.
Had I been clear on who I was, where I wanted to go, and how I planned to get there, I could have avoided many of the pitfalls I experienced as a teen through my late twenties. From day-to-day decision-making and having a solid sense of direction to financial management and peer group choices, many things could have been exponentially easier and better. But they weren't, and for that, I am thankful because I can now bring the solution I needed then to those who do in the world today. It is my deep belief, not just from personal experience, but also through executing my program hundreds of times, that there are three key components to navigating our way to success as individuals and as a society. Those three things are the very commonly occurring trifecta in successful businesses like Apple, Target and Toyota: mission, vision, and values.
You may be thinking, seriously? Is it THAT simple? And to that, I say that not everything has to be complex to be effective. As someone who spent many years in supply chain logistics and transportation, I spent large parts of each day performing RCA (root cause analysis), which is essentially breaking outcomes down to their simplest starting point to then find a solution that results in a different outcome.
Nonetheless, hear me out. Our values help define who we are and what is important to us. Had younger Jessica known her values, she would have been more resilient in the face of peer pressure. She would have been able to better align with where she was going, aka, her vision. And what is it that connects us with where we are and where we want to go? Well, a roadmap, of course. We can call that our mission, our daily show-up, our commitment to ourselves. Well, there you have it, quite simple indeed!
In terms of the ETA program and young Jessica, however, it does get a little more complex because as we work with out clients we introduce life coaching, which challenges the limiting beliefs that hold our clients back, encourages meta-thinking, and goal setting. On top of all of that, we work alongside our clients to encourage better habits for time management, resilience, and recalibration. Man, if only young Jessica could have had this! What if every teen could have this? Where would we be if we taught our young adults the skills of standing strong on their own without the influence of others through social media or negative role models? What if we gave every young person the tools to their own success, and it was easier than chemistry and more relevant than the Pythagorean theorem?
Just imagine a world where every young person is equipped with the clarity and confidence to navigate their own path. By instilling mission, vision, and values, we can empower the next generation to avoid pitfalls, make informed decisions, and ultimately lead fulfilling lives. Let's give our youth the foundation they need to thrive.
Let's give them all Hi-Lite! 🚀
Written by Jessica Villegas
*Hi-Lite is a three-time award-winning organization and program with a proven impact on improving social-emotional resilience, clarity, and confidence in teens and young adults.
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