Most companies, schools, and other organizations have mission statements. But have you ever put any thought into creating a personal mission statement?
Having a mission statement is a great way to get to know yourself, define your values, and focus on your goals! The best part? A mission statement is straightforward to create. It should speak to who you are as a person, as well as who and where you want to be in the future.
Your simple mission statement should outline your goals, values, and identity, and will help guide you when faced with a tough decision. So, with that in mind, here’s everything that goes into a mission statement so you can create one for yourself.
What are your core values?
Everyone has beliefs and qualities that are central to who they are as a person. For some, it’s living an honest and open life. For others, it might be focused around working hard and creating a life you’re proud of.
Whatever it is, think of three or four adjectives that you think sum up your core values, then rank them in order of importance.
Where do you want to be in one, three, and five years?
Next up are your goals, both short- and long-term. Where do you see yourself? Do you know what you need to do to get there?
This is also a good time to reevaluate any goals that you might have had for a long time. Are they still in line with your current path? Do you want to change any of them, perhaps to be closer in line with your defined core values?
What are some of your proudest achievements?
Finally, it’s time to look back. When you think about what you’ve achieved, what makes you happiest? What is your proudest memory to date?
These moments and achievements are a great way of finding what brings you genuine joy. Plus, we often can’t see how amazing our achievements are until we look back on them, so give yourself the time to really appreciate how far you’ve come and everything you’ve done so far.
Now try and see if there’s a theme. Are you proudest of your achievements related to work? Maybe your best moments are with family or certain friends? This exercise can help you see whether your current and past actions line up with where you want to go.
Create your mission statement
With all of these elements defined, it’s time to combine them together into a mission statement. Try to find a unified statement that incorporates your goals and use the adjectives you defined as your core values to describe them.
It might sound something like: To live an honest and dedicated life focused on my family and friends and knowing that nothing can stop me when I put my mind to something.
Everyone’s mission statement will look different, but I hope these steps help you define yours. Leave a comment and share it once you’re done, and we can focus on the future together!
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