A personal mission statement can be defined as a written declaration clarifying our unique direction or purpose. It is often just one sentence, but it can be as long as you want. As long as the statement makes it clear not just what you intend to do in this world but how you intend to do it, you are on the right track to creating an excellent personal mission statement. Many businesses have mission statements, but we are not our business. We have unique values, purposes, and desired directions (McIver et al., 2020). We, too, can benefit from having a mission statement that gives us clarity about how we want to move forward. It can serve as a map, preventing us from getting lost and ensuring we do the things that matter to us, ultimately leading to personal fulfillment and well-being.
Writing a mission statement can help us clarify our values and better understand whether we are spending our time in the best ways. It can also provide a sense of inner stability even during times of change (McIver et al., 2020). Most people write a mission statement to clarify the type of work they want to do, decide on the types of companies they might like to work for, and highlight personal values or beliefs that might affect their experience in a workplace environment. Nevertheless, I propose that a personal mission statement focus on your truth, goals, and values and not be unnecessarily restricted by concentrating only on the job, career, or work you want to do.
If we take a broader view, a personal mission statement can guide our lives, help us make decisions that are good for us, and help us make an impact in the ways that matter to us. This type of mission statement is for more than our work. It is a tool to help us succeed in life, regardless of how we might define success. For most of us, creating a personal mission statement takes some work. We may need to think things over. Let it sit and come back to revise it later. Alternatively, we need to redo an old mission statement that is not getting us where we want to go. This process does not have to be “one and done.” It is common for personal mission statements to change and evolve, just as we do.
Reference
McIver, R. K., Hattingh, S. J., & Kilgour, P. W. (2020). Education as Preparation for Eternity: Teachers in Seventh-day Adventist Schools in Australia and the Solomon Islands, and Their Perceptions of Mission. Avondale Academic Press.