Do you have a mission for your life? If not, how will you know what is your purpose? If you’re like most people, you have no idea how to answer that question, because you’ve never considered it. That’s unfortunate. Companies have mission statements, and you should consider creating one for your own life. How can you make the best plans and decisions for yourself if you lack a mission statement?
Writing a personal mission statement has three primary benefits.
- It forces you to consider what your purpose in life is.
- It gives your life direction
- It is something you can use to measure yourself by.
There’s no reason not to create a mission statement for your life.
Crafting a mission statement will allow you to live more purposefully.
The creation of a mission statement requires that you define your strengths, interests, and values. Once these are known and documented, life becomes much easier and more fulfilling.
You simply have to ask yourself, “Am I living in accordance to my mission statement?
Your goals will become more obvious and you’ll feel more certain and clear regarding your decisions.
Create A Mission Statement And Give Your Life Direction And Purpose With These Strategies:
1. Determine The Person You Want To Be.
Imagine the person you would be prouder being. What characteristics does that person possess? Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and assume that you can become anything you desire. Who would you want to be? What qualities and values do you want to stand for?
Life isn’t only about accomplishments and accumulating a list of impressive possessions. Life is also about the person you become and your contributions. Consider all the roles you might fill over your lifetime and define your ideal person for each of these roles:
- Student
- Spouse
- Grandparent
- Parent
- Employee
- Employer
- Boss
- Friend
Need some help figuring out your priorities and values? It may be better for you start here: Setting Your Life Priorities. What Do You Value?
2. Consider Your Heroes.
Whom do you look up to? Why? The people you most admire can leave clues about what is most important and impressive to you. Whose life would you like to live? It can even be someone from the past. Whom did you admire when you were a child? It might be a relative or neighbor. Your mother or father, even?
Think about those you respect and admire. Consider people you know personally, people you know of, and people from history. What do they have in common? What traits or experiences do these people have that you’d like to see in yourself?
- Your true-self is closely aligned with those you hold in high regard.
3. Look Online For A Few examples That Can Inspire You.
There are several CEOs and other famous people that have posted their mission statements for the world to see. Check out a few and see if anything appeals to you.
4. Imagine Looking Back On Your Life.
Picture yourself on your deathbed. What would you like to see when you look back on your life? What legacy do you want to leave behind? Having regret at this stage in your life would be a tragic thing. You can prevent that by considering this circumstance today.
- Imagine you’re 80-years old and only have a month left to live. What do you want to be able to remember? Making a million dollars? Climbing Mount Everest? Starting a charity? Having happy, successful children?
- Start with the end in mind. Then you can create a path to reach that destination.
5. Write Down Your Strengths, Talents, And Loves.
What are you good at? Make a list of your natural talents and those areas where you’ve developed the most skill. Include the things you love to do, whether you’re good at them or not.
- If your mission statement can include or leverage your skills and talents, you’ll be able to accomplish more.
- By including the things that you love to do, you’ll have a lot more fun!
6. Create A List Of Purposes.
Define the overall theme of your life and list the things that you want to accomplish in your life. Create a mission statement that incorporates all of these things into a central idea. It might require a couple of paragraphs to capture. These could be thought of as vague goals, such as:
- Alleviate the suffering of others.
- Fearlessly try new things and visit new places.
- Make a living in the field of music.
- Be a supportive and loving parent.
- Be grateful for all the experiences that enter my life.
- Be a committed life-long learner.
7. Write Your Mission Statement.
You have enough information now to write your mission statement. Try limiting yourself to a single paragraph and hone in on the essential elements. Describe the mission for your life. There’s no reason to feel tied down to anything you write now. You’re in control. You can always make adjustments in the future.
8. Set Concrete And Appropriate Goals That Support Your Purposes.
Now that you have a general direction for your life, set some goals that support your mission statement. What can you do today to begin living the life you desire? What kind of goals would the person you describe in the first step pursue?
Set goals that will ensure that living your purpose is guaranteed. For example, what are some goals that might turn you into a supportive and loving father?
- Resolve issues from my own childhood.
- Read and apply a book on being more patient.
- Get involved at my child’s school by volunteering.
- Read to my child each night.
- Hug and tell my child, “I love you.” at least twice each day.
9. Get Busy Doing The Doing.
This can be the challenging part. Many of us like imagining and planning, but balk when it’s time to actually take action. Knowledge is power and konwing your mission in life is a very powerful thing to know, but success will only come from action. Avoid allowing this step to halt your progress.
10. Reevaluate.
Take stock regularly. Do you need to modify your mission statement or your goals? What can you do to make them better? What is working for you and what is not working? Your mission in life may be a moving target as you age and mature. Your experiences will also change your perspective on life.
Conclusion
A mission statement forces you to evaluate your interests, values, and priorities. You also consider your death and your legacy. If you want the best possible chance of living having a great and amazing life, a mission statement is crucial.
Take the time to complete this important exercise. You’re bound to learn things about yourself you never knew and to re-energize your passion for living.
If you’re feeling confused and overwhelmed, or your life lacks purpose, developing a mission statement just may be the answer. A mission statement creates focus and boundaries for your life. There’s much less confusion when you’re clear about your purpose and goals. Get your life on track with a thoughtful mission statement and live your life on purpose.
Now, Make Personal Mission Statements Work for You.
BAM! Be A Man. Do The Right Thing. Live Your Mission.
BAM! Be A Man. Do The Right Thing.
Be The DtRTy Guy!