Writing a Personal
Mission Statement

All large companies and organizations have an institutional mission statement. An institutional mission statement is both a summary of the vision of the organization, and a statement of its purpose and uniqueness.

Decisions at the highest level within large organizations can then be made with the mission statement in mind. This keeps the organization focused, and moving in the direction in which they intend to go. In essence, it is a guide for how the organization will contribute, how it will conduct itself, and what actions it will take. Keep that in mind as you begin writing your own personal mission statement.

At some point in my conversations with people, I often end up talking about contribution. My personal opinion is that contribution is one of the best ways to inspire yourself. This is one reason why people donate to good causes, and do volunteer work.

But you don't have to do that to make a contribution to the world. Your contribution can come in the form of daily action. The act of contributing serves to energize you, and it is inspiration in action at its highest form.

Writing a personal mission statement is both a huge task, and a way to define how you will make your contribution to the world. The very process behind it will bring to the surface thoughts of your past contributions, and that, in and of itself, will inspire you. Continued inspiration will come as you fine tune your vision, solidify your mission, and come up with your final draft.

"Three years ago I sat down and designed my ideal day and my ideal environment. I'm living both right now."

-Anthony Robbins

Finally, lasting inspiration will be ever present as you live your life as you've defined it. You will life your life according to your vision. You will align your values, your goals, your dreams, and your contributions with your daily actions as you live your mission.

When writing a personal mission statement, remember that a personal mission statement serves very much the same function as the ones that corporations use. It describes your purpose in life, your unique place in the world, and how you will contribute. Your statement proclaims your vision, and frames, in terms you can understand, the qualities you want to develop in yourself, what you want to accomplish, and what contributions you want to make.

A personal mission statement becomes a guide for your life, inspiring you to make the decisions that will best help you reach your goals and fulfill your vision.

If you haven't already created your mission statement, the following questions and ideas can help you get started.

When asking yourself the following mission statement questions, be as specific as reasonably possible, and engage all of your senses...

1. How do you want to feel on a daily basis?
2. What experiences make you feel like that now?
3. Who has influenced your life for the better? In what way (how did they do that)?
4. What are some of your talents?
5. How would you like to use those talents?
6. Describe a defining moment in your life?
7. How did you feel at that moment?
8. What contributions do you want to make during your lifetime?
9. How would you like people to describe you?

Exercise... writing a personal mission statement:

Write down ideas for your mission statement. Describe how you want to live, and who you want to be. During this exercise, you're describing what you feel is your ideal life. Describe your goals, your dreams, and what you want your living environment to look like. Don't worry about how the words come out, you can refine them later, just write.

Things to remember when writing a personal mission statement...

"Limited goals create limited lives."

-Anthony Robbins

1. If you are a perfectionist... don't be... you'll never get started.
2. This is your personal mission statement, it can look however you want!
3. Your mission can be as narrow or as diverse as you like.
4. Think of how you want to feel, and how you want things to look and sound.

This process requires some self-examination, and is not always easy. If you need help, follow this link on writing a personal mission statement. Using a "block by block" approach, you'll not only uncover your values and refine your goals, you'll also discover any roadblocks that you may have already put in your way.

Writing a personal mission statement is not so much an event, but a continuing evolution for you. As circumstances change, goals are accomplished, and dreams fulfilled, your vision and your mission may change.

Since writing a personal mission statement is an ongoing process, you should schedule some time to review and update it on a periodic basis. Probably three or four times a year would be good, depending upon how fast things change, or if you have a major life event.