Most, if not all businesses have a mission statement that describes the aims and values of their organization. Everything the business offers and every task and customer interaction falls directly under the umbrella of the mission statement. A mission statement helps a business stay on track and also maintain a sense of cohesiveness even as it grows.
A personal mission statement can have the same benefits for you! If you've ever felt unsure of where you want to go in life, what purpose you have for your time on the planet, if you have trouble focusing on your own needs/wants, if you find yourself easily distracted, or even if you just want to be more organized and more intentional, a personal mission statement can help!
Step 1: Questions to Ask Yourself--Don't forget to write them down!
I am at my best when . . . I am at my worst when . . . I am truly happy when . . . I want to be a person who . . . Someday I would like to . . . My deepest positive emotions come when . . . My greatest talents and best gifts are . . . When all is said and done, the most important things in life are . . . Possible life goals for me are...
Step 2: Get More Concrete!
Write at least a few answers for each:
What I would like to do... (Think accomplishments and contributions)
What I would like to be... (Think about character strengths and qualities you'd like to develop)
Step 3: Identify Someone You Would Like To Be Like
Who would I like to be like? What contributions have they made to the world that I would also like to make? What have they accomplished that I would also like to accomplish? What qualities and character strengths do they have that I would like to develop?
Step 4: Identify and Prioritize Your Roles
Are you a mother, father, parent, grandparent, sibling, researcher, server, volunteer, etc? What roles do you currently have? Which roles do you hope to have in the future? Which are the most important to you?
What do you want to accomplish in each role? What character strengths or qualities would you want to embody in each role?
Step 5: Write Your Personal Mission Statement
Using everything you've written down so far, especially looking at your roles and what you hope to do and be in each role, write your statement.
Step 6: Review!
Ask yourself: Does my mission statement … Bring out the best in me? Challenge and motivate me? Communicate my vision and values? Address significant roles in my life? Express timelines, proven principles that produce quality of life results? Represent the unique contributions I can make to society?
Step 7: Revise and Write Your Permanent Draft!
Samples:
"I am a responsible spouse and parent; I give priority to these roles. I value differences and view them as strengths. I seek to build complementary winwin relationships with family, friends, and business associates. To keep these relationships healthy and to maintain a high level of trust, I make daily “deposits” in the “emotional bank accounts” of others."
"In my profession, I am responsible for results. I act with courage, consideration, and discretion. I prefer to let my works speak for me and believe in achieving visibility through productivity. In planning my weeks and days, I focus on key roles and goals to maintain balance and perspective. Knowing that how I perform affects how I feel about myself, I seek to do my best and record how I feel in daily entries in a personal journey."
"I want to help influence the future development of people and organizations. I want to teach my children and others to love and laugh, to learn and grow beyond their current bounds."
The above prompts and samples are from Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". At Creating Space Counseling and Wellness, you can learn more about drafting a personal mission statement and other techniques that can help you connect with your best self. In therapy, you will also find the strength and peace that comes from trusting yourself and your decisions, and also be able to recognize and relinquish barriers that get in the way of your success (whatever that means to you!).
Call today for a free 15 minute phone consultation! 856-281-1664
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