Creating a Personal Mission Statement
We all think about the big things we'd like to accomplish in life. But most of us never write them down.
Talk to successful people, and they'll tell you they write down their values, goals, and vision for what they want in life. Then they use it as a compass to make it come true.
Some people use "mission," "purpose," and "vision" interchangeably. Others think they describe different things. There is no consensus. We use vision. You can call it what you like.
A personal mission statement describes how you see yourself in the future. It describes your hopes and dreams and evokes a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
Write Your Mission Statement
A mission statement integrates various aspects of your life and what you know about yourself. Here's one way to write a mission statement.
On a piece of paper list:
- Things that bring you happiness and inspire
and satisfy you.
- Things you do best and enjoy doing.
- Things you've always wanted to do.
When you complete your list, put the ideas about your future into one or more paragraphs. Your mission statement could be 20 words or 200 words. Length doesn't matter. Make sure to write in the present tense, imagining yourself already achieving what you want.
Two examples of personal mission statements:
"I walk up to the podium and am awarded the Olympic Gold Medal for the 100 meter dash. The huge crowd cheers. I watch proudly as my national anthem is played and my country's flag rises slowly above me."
"I am physically empowered; have graduated from college; have four satisfying relationships that bring me joy, a soulful connection with God, lots of friends, am having fun everyday and am making at least $75,000 a year doing work that I love."
Note: Many examples of mission statements are not written in the present tense.
Some are high-level goals:
"To educate, motivate and enable myself and all those who know me to achieve self actualization and become everything that God destined us to be."
Others use the future tense or describe hoped-for outcomes:
"I will be an optimist and enjoy everything that happens to me and everything I do. I want to be known by my family as a woman who loved and cared; by my friends as someone who was always there; by my employers as a fair, honest, responsible and hardworking individual. I want to ensure I respect anyone who ever worked for me and to earn his or her respect in return. I believe that every action I take and every thought I have is directed by a sense of values and integrity that no one but God can question. I hope to live a life without regrets."
Written in the present tense, these two mission statements become:
"I educate, motivate and enable myself and all those who know me to achieve self actualization and become everything that God destined us to be."
"I am an optimist and enjoy everything that happens to me and everything I do. I am known by my family as a woman who loves and cares; by my friends as someone who is always there; by my employers as a fair, honest, responsible and hardworking individual. I respect the people who work for me and earn their respect in return. I believe that every action I take and every thought I have is directed by a sense of values and integrity that no one but God can question. I live a life without regrets."
Benefits of A Mission Statement
- Makes it easier to define the actions and goals that will help you achieve your vision.
- Acts as a yardstick against which you can measure your current reality and your progress.
- Allows you to evaluate your values. If, for example, one of your values is honesty, you know if you're compromising your vision by being dishonest.
If you want to start living into your desired future, take the time to write a mission statement. Then put it where you can read it on a regular basis to stay inspired.
Remember: The things you think about the most become your reality!
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