What would your museum say

You must have visited a museum at some or other time. A museum is an organized collection of things someone did over time and then collected the stories and artifacts for you to see. Every time I went inside a museum, it has inspired my interest in an area of study, item, time, period, or idea.

During one of my visits to the museum in Patna, I became so inspired that I decided to write an article about getting a job as museum staff. It turned out to be my first published article in Hindustan Times way back in the year 1990.

Since then, I have been questioning myself repeatedly — what would be in a museum of mine? What moments, experiences, ideas, stories, and artifacts would someone collect and assemble into the museum of my life? What would the museum say about me? What would my life stand for? Would the excellence supersede so large and unique that I would have a museum dedicated to me?

I have pursued the same notion in the works I do in my life and my business. Whenever I conduct a workshop, consult with a client, build a product or write an article, I ask, “What would make my work collectible?”

“What would your museum say?” is a powerful way to set your vision, mission, purpose and value. You can set clear values that show what behaviors, traits, and habits are most important to you and how you would like to measure your successes? Do you clearly understand your purpose by what you see on display? Would you see things you have done that reveal some area of mastery?