Personal mission statement

?? A personal mission statement, sometimes called also as manifesto, is a statement that defines your core values, who you are. A personal mission statement can be used to guide your decisions and help you stay focused to meet your long-term goals. A personal mission statement creates boundaries that make decision-making easier, as it's easier to see whether your decisions align with your long-term goals.

Deciding what to do with your time is equally important as deciding what not to do with your time.

?? A personal mission statement is, of course, personal. But if you want to truly see whether you have been honest in developing your personal mission statement, I suggest sharing the results of the process with one or more people who are close to you. Ask for their feedback. And develop further from there, if necessary.

?? Also, remember that a mission statement is not meant to be written once and blasted into stone. You should set aside some time annually to review your career, job, goals, and mission statement -- and make adjustments as necessary.

?? A personal mission statement It’s your most powerful tool for reaching your goals.

Why? 

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett says, "The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything." 

? A personal mission statement shows you what to say no to. It aims you at the target and saves time and energy for what matters most.

? It aligns your every moment in service of your goals.

? It’s not hard to write your own statement. It comes down to asking yourself a few questions.

? A personal mission statement is a 1-2 sentence motto that shows how you define yourself as a person or a team member. It identifies your personal or professional purpose and presents why it is important to you.  

? It’s a “reason to be.” Many experts think it can turn someone from a “rudderless ship” into a goal-focused success. Mission statements save time by cutting out unneeded tasks.

? Successful people have the same number of hours in a day. Their #1 strength? They don’t let their time get sucked away by non-goal pursuits.

? A personal statement is like a sword. It slices away the “good ideas” keeping your dreams from reality.

What Does a Personal Vision Statement Do?

?? Your personal vision statement guides your life and provides the direction necessary to chart the course of your days and the choices you make about your career, social life, family, relationships, wellbeing, physical health, money, etc.

?? Think of your personal vision statement as the light shining in the darkness that illuminates your path through the forest of life.

?? Writing a vision statement is the first step in focusing on your life. It can help put things into perspective—your joy, your accomplishments, your family life and your contributions. 

?? Here are a few extra tips to help you write a powerful personal mission statement.

?? Keep it short. Your personal mission statement should only be one sentence long. The purpose is to focus only on what matters the most. To help you identify that one thing, try writing down five words that describe you and your purpose. Using that list of five words, try writing down two words that describe you and your purpose. Then think of one word and write that down. Use these words as inspiration to help keep your personal mission statement short.

?? Be true to yourself. Your mission statement should reflect your greatest passion and what you believe your long-term purpose is. Know that it's okay to make changes to your mission statement as you grow and continue learning.

?? Get feedback. Share your personal mission statement with the most important people in your life. They can provide you with important insights that can help you improve upon the statement.

Steps for Developing a Personal Mission Statement

?? Identify Past Successes - Spend some time identifying four or five examples where you have had personal success in recent years. These successes could be at work, in your community, at home, etc. Write them down. Try to identify whether there is a common theme (or themes) to these examples.

?? Identify Core Values - Develop a list of attributes that you believe identify who you are and what your priorities are. The list can be as long as you need. Once your list is complete, see if you can narrow your values down to around five or six of the most important values. Finally, see if you can choose the one value that is most important to you.

?? Identify Contributions - Make a list of the ways you could make a difference. In an ideal situation, how could you contribute best to the world in general | your family | your employer or future employers | your friends | your community.

?? Identify Goals - Spend some time thinking about your priorities in life and the goals you have for yourself. Make a list of your personal goals, dream big and take time to articulate your biggest goals, rather than writing down restricting and short-term plans.

?? Write down what is most important to you, what you want your legacy to be, and what you are most passionate about. Consider what kind of mark you want to leave on the world, and how your skills can help you achieve that.

??  Write Mission Statement - Based on the first four steps and a better understanding of yourself, begin writing your personal mission statement.

Here are some personal mission statement examples from CEOs, founders, and artists: 

?? "To make people happy" – Walt Disney 

?? “To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.” – Denise Morrison, Former CEO of Campbell Soup Company

?? “Not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

?? "If something is important enough you should try, even if the probable outcome is failure" – Elon Musk, Tesla

?? “To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.” – Oprah Winfrey 

?? “Treat people how you want to be treated.” – Lou Gerencer, CEO one of the top ten Harley dealerships in the US 

?? “To do well by doing good while supporting and elevating those around me.” – Scott Shuda, Chairman of Infusystem, Inc.

?? “To use my gifts of intelligence, charisma, and serial optimism to cultivate the self-worth and net-worth of women around the world.” – Amanda Steinberg, Dailyworth.com

?? “Embrace something bigger than yourself. Continually improve your skills. Inspire others to achieve great things and make the world a better place. This is how the quiet humble person leaves their mark.” – Jeffrey Madden, Senior VP and Portfolio Manager at RMB Capital

??  “To help people find hope after loss" – Gloria Horsley, Founder of Open to Hope

Those are inspiring personal mission statements.

They’re easy to remember and they keep their visionaries pointed “true north.”

Now let’s write yours! 

?? It’s not hard, it’s actually fun and empowering.

?? This is where you dream big. Paint a picture powerful enough to get you out of bed each morning with energy and joy. Use your mission statement like that: every time you face a choice between two options, let your mission statement decide.

?? Your personal vision statement can, and most likely will, change over time depending on what is happening in your life. However, the changes you integrate into your vision more often than not will still reflect the original values and intent you described to yourself during your first vision statement.

?? When people live and experience the components of their personal vision frequently, they tend to feel more fulfilled. This is because a personal vision statement is a guide, written by and for you, for your life.

?? In conclusion, your personal statement or manifesto explains who you truly are and what you stand for. You can use your manifesto to connect to others, but most importantly, your manifesto is meant to inspire YOU. There will be times in life where you feel out of alignment with your purpose. You may feel discouraged. You may lose that feeling of clarity and excitement about your journey. In those moments, you can revisit your manifesto, stir your passions, and rekindle your inspiration for following the path of purpose that your entire life has been leading you toward.

Life is happening for you not to you! – Tony Robbins