A personal mission statement is a short description of who you want to be and what you want your life to be about. Writing one helps you make decisions, because you have something clear to measure them against.
What makes a good one
A good personal mission statement is:
- Short. A few sentences you can remember.
- Specific to you. Not a quote you borrowed.
- About who you are, not just what you achieve. Character, relationships and service, not only goals.
- Covers the parts of life that matter: faith, family, work, health, friends and others.
How to write it
- Ask a few questions. What do I want people to say about me at my funeral? Who depends on me? What do I care about most? What kind of person do I want to become?
- List your roles. Spouse, parent, worker, friend, church member, neighbor.
- Write one sentence for each role about who you want to be in it.
- Combine and cut until it fits on a card.
- Read it aloud. If it doesn't sound like you, keep editing.
A simple example: "I will love God and my family first, do honest work that serves people well, take care of the body I've been given, and leave every place better than I found it."
What it doesn't do
A mission statement won't change your life by sitting in a drawer. Its value comes from using it to make decisions.
The rule that makes it stick: check decisions against it
When a big choice comes, such as a job offer, a purchase or a new commitment, read your statement first. Ask whether the choice moves you toward it or away from it.
This week
Set aside 30 minutes, answer the questions above, and write a first draft. Put it somewhere you'll see it daily.
The keep
Writing a mission statement costs an hour of honest thinking. It gives you a compass for every decision after.
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