The second in a series of seven short articles:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tango Dancers
My Tango Mission Statement:
I interpret Tango music through my personality and communicate with my partner to the best of my ability making sure she is comfortable.
Not quite the mouthful you have come to expect from a mission statement, is it? It doesn’t have to be. Beginning with the end in mind suggests that you know where you want to go before you embark on your Tango journey.
Use your mission statement to check yourself when you encounter hurdles and doubts during your Tango experiences. It’s your slap on the wrist when you think about quitting.
Go ahead, write yourself a simple one-sentence mission statement and tuck it away in your purse or wallet for later reference and motivation.
What do you want to achieve?
Write your statement in the present tense as if you are already being, doing, and having those things you want in the future. Don’t write this:
I want to be a great dancer!
Boooooooooooring 
Be specific and drill down to your goal. Use specific words that spell out exactly what you want to achieve. If your goal is to become a phenomenal social dancer, then your mission statement may read something like this:
I take group Tango lessons once weekly and dance at milongas twice a week. Once a month, I treat myself to a private lesson to maintain and improve my skills.
Much better! Stay on your path and be true to your mission statement. Bad things will happen – you know it, I know it, dogs know it! Say for instance the flu consumes you and restricts you to your bed for 5 days straight (Could this have happened to me and explain why I haven’t written an entry in so long?) preventing you from dancing or taking class this week like the mission statement above suggests.
Don’t get frustrated, just revise it and give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Perfection isn’t your goal here, progression is.
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