I bet at sometime in your life, perhaps numerous times, you have had to draft a mission statement. In the beginning stages of writing a book, it is a great idea to write a personal mission statement. It helps to focus your attention and puts your “why” into a few sentences that you can refer back to any time you start to lose momentum.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “he looks like a man on a mission!” or “she’s on a mission!”? What does that mean? You are usually talking about someone who is walking somewhere very quickly like they have a sense of purpose…someone who has a sense of urgency, who is laser focused on getting from point A to point B with no detours! This is how we should think about our personal mission statements as we craft them.
Begin your personal mission statement with “I’m on a mission to…”. What you put after that should be everything that you have a sense of urgency and purpose to do in your life. It should be as many words as it takes to describe what you believe you are on this earth to do. What is your contribution to humanity?
Some things that will help you construct your personal mission statement:
What do you value? Beauty, Nature, Faith, Honesty, Respect, Love, Teamwork, Courage, etc…. How do you demonstrate that you value each one?
What are your roles in life? Parent, Spouse, Coach, Teacher, Leader, Mentor, Friend, etc…. Write some “I am” statements for each role explaining how you fulfill each role.
What is one thing you could do that would have the most positive impact in your life?
What kind of person do you want to BE? (compassionate, hard-working, humorous, responsible, etc)
What kinds of things would you like to DO? (learn how to play an instrument, volunteer, graduate college, etc)
What would you like to HAVE during your lifetime? (new house, retirement pension, a boat, etc)
What are some of the greatest moments of happiness and fulfillment?
What activities do you most enjoy and find most fulfilling in your life?
What talents do you have or want to have?
What would you like people to say about you on your 80th birthday? (I know this one sounds strange, but trust me, it also helps to focus your mission statement efforts!)
After you draft your personal mission statement, put it somewhere that will have your attention every day and see if it doesn’t recharge you to keep you on your mission!