You probably know about mission statements that companies use. You can have a personal mission statement too! I often suggest to my career coaching clients that they create a personal mission statement to help them establish what they really want from their career and life generally.
What is a personal mission statement?
A personal mission statement is a description of how you want to live your life both at work and outside work. It defines the overall purpose and meaning that you wish to give your life. Note that I am assuming that we, rather than an external spiritual power, determine our purpose in life. You may have a different spiritual belief and in this case your mission statement could reflect the mission that you believe is given to you. But be careful with this. You could find yourself applying the values of your religion or spiritual teacher to your life. Reflect on those values to establish whether you really love living them. If you adopt values that you think you “should” be living, you will live the values of others and this will drag you down over time.
Personally, I believe that we determine the purpose of our lives. I love the empowerment and accountability that comes with this belief. Yes, things will happen to us that we cannot control, but we always have a choice how to respond, what to think and what meaning to give to your life.
Why would you want a personal mission statement?
Well, unless you sit down and really think about what you want your life to be about, then life will just happen to you. This may work out well, but it’s more likely that you will not manifest the things you really want to experience in life.
It’s like navigating a ship: if you do not have a destination and a sea chart, you will just have to make do with wherever the wind leads you.
So how about spending some time thinking about the purpose that you want to give to your life? What needs to happen between now and when you are 100 years old so that at that age you look back at your life with deep sense of gratitude and fulfillment?
This does not need to be about creating a legacy for humankind. A personal mission to devote your life to raising a family is just as valid. The only thing that counts is whether it will fulfil you.
What do you do with a personal mission statement?
Once you have decided one your personal mission in life and documented it in a written statement, you can create life goals that will assist you pursuing your mission. You can also explore how your job can support your mission in life. If it can’t, it may be time to look for new opportunities.
How do I write a personal mission statement?
in my career coaching book Falling in Love With Your Job, you will find an easy step-by-step process that will guide you through the process of creating your personal mission statement. I also launched an online career change course which offers additional AI-powered exercises.
You don’t have to do it on your own
Would you like help creating your own personal mission statement, finding a new job or progressing in your career? Most of our career coaching clients have no idea what’s possible for them and where to start. That’s where we come in! You can book a FREE Discover Call with me or one of my hand picked associate coaches here.
