Writing a Personal Mission Statement Why should I? A mission statement is part of a bigger picture. Corporate consultants call this bigger picture strategic planning.
Strategic planning is the process by which the guiding members of an organization envision its future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future. Thus, strategic planning is a roadmap to lead a person or organization to become what he/she/it wants to become. The steps steps to the the strategic planning process usually include: 1.
Assess strengths & weaknesses (internal) and opportunities & threats (external).
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Develop vision (ideal view of realistic future).
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Develop mission statement (how to get to vision).
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State core values/beliefs/priorities.
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Set long-term objectives/goals and then th en short-term.
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Determine who, what, when, where, how of objectives/goals.
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Create assessment strategies to evaluate success of objectives/goals.
8. Start again (repeat (repeat every every 3-5 3-5 years). years).
What is a mission statement? •
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A precise, concise and inspiring declaration of the fundamental purpose of the organization/individual A powerful document that expresses your personal sense of purpose and meaning in life; it acts as a governing constitution by which you evaluate decisions and choose behaviors Written permission to do what is most important to you, most exciting to you, most YOU A good mission statement is: no more than one sentence long
easily understood by a 12-year-old able to be recited by memory at gunpoint (Laurie Beth Jones)
THE PROCESS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE PRODUCT! Brainstorming Brainstorming – Quick Notes (5 minutes) Respond to the following quickly, in 1-3 words each. 1. What is one one trait you you want want to pass pass on to your your kids?
2. What are two qualities qualities you you love about your spouse? spouse?
3. Descri Describe be your yoursel selff in one word word..
4. If there were were only two rules rules everyone everyone should should follow, follow, what what would would they be?
5. Who do you admire admire most? most? In one word, word, why?
6. What are are three three things things you would would do do if you knew knew you could could not not fail?
7. When you daydream daydream,, what what do you you see yourself yourself doing? doing?
8. If you had unlimited unlimited time and resour resources, ces, what what would would you choose choose to do?
9. When you you look at your your personal personal life, which which activities activities do do you consider consider of of greatest worth?
10.When you look at your work life, which activities do you consider of greatest worth?
11.What do you consider to be your most important future contribution to others?
12.Are there things you feel you really should do even though you might have dismissed such thoughts many times before for various reasons? What are they?
13.I am at my best when…
14.I am at my worst when…
15.I want to be a person who…
16.Someday I would like to…
17.My deepest positive emotions come when…
18.My greatest talents and best gifts are…
19.When all is said and done, the most important things are…
20.What do you want more of in your relationships? What do you want less of?
21.What do you want more of in your work? What do you want less of?
22.What would you do if you were 10 times bolder in your marriage? In your work? In your community? In your family? In your church?
23.As a result of your having lived, three things have changed or shifted in the world. What are they?
24.What did you do for fun when you were a child? What were your favorite games and toys?
25.If you were asked to create a TV special about something that moves you, what would it be about?
26.What 26. What magazines intrigue you most at a newsstand? What sections or articles most catch your attention?
27.If you started a business or organization to solve a need, what would it be?
28.What issue would you like to see someone write a bestselling book about?
29.What subjects would you like to learn about? Go back to school for?
30.Who are the people you find yourself voluntarily getting together with, again and again, for deeper discussions? What are your deepest discussions about?
Brainstorming Brainstorming – Activities (15 minutes) Respond to one or more of the following, which spark your interest, in some detail on a separate page. 1. What is your your state in life? life? What What general general responsib responsibilitie ilities s does this this state entail? Where is it all leading you? How does it relate to the teachings of Christ and God’s plan for your life? What is your ultimate measure of success in this life? 2. Describe Describe your your life as an epic epic journey journey with you you as heroine. heroine. What What is your journey journey about? about? What are you you doing? doing? Who is it for? Why are are you you doing doing it? it? What are the results? 3. Describe Describe the last last time you were were really really excited about life. life. What What were you doing? Who was there? How did you feel? 4. If you were given given one one million dollars dollars and had to to give it to charity, charity, which which charity would you donate it to and how would you like it to be used? 5. If you asked asked the person person who knows knows you you best to to describe describe your your three three greatest strengths, what would they be? How can you use these three traits to make a positive contribution in your family? At work? With your friends? 6. Descri Describe be your your ideal ideal day. day. 7. What things things do do you want to have have that you you feel are importan important? t? These These can be tangible (i.e. house, car) or intangible (i.e. faith, family). From your list, identify the five most important items.
8. Who has has served served as a positiv positive e role model model for for you and and has had had a significant impact in your life? Why did that t hat person have such a significant impact? What qualities does this person possess that you would like to emulate? What other qualities qualit ies of character do you admire most in others? 9. Write down down a list list of no fewer fewer than than 20 talents talents you you have been given. given. Which of these talents have you buried? Which have you multiplied? 10.Define your life roles (i.e. Christian, wife, mother, daughter, friend). Describe how you would like to be described in each of those roles. 11.Identify four or five examples where you have had personal success in recent years. Try to find a common theme or themes to these examples. 12.Develop a list of attributes you believe identify who you are and what your priorities are. See if you can narrow this list to five or six most important values. 13.What excites you in or about the world? What three things would you teach others about these things? What angers you in or about the world? What three things would you convey to others about these things? How can you use what most excites you to affect what most angers you? 14.What did you tell people you were going to be when you grew up? Are you doing anything that resembles that dream now? Why or why not? 15.If you had only six healthy months left to live, what would they look like?
SAMPLE STATEMENTS An Organization… MISSION Bethany House is the Catholic spiritual life center for youth of the Diocese of Lansing, offering spiritual retreats, formation programs, and special events that form the whole person as made in the image and likeness of God. We seek to evangelize and educate youth based on the teachings of Christ, develop their personal relationships with God, and deepen their appreciation of His Church, so they may go out into the world and spread the Gospel. VISION Bethany House will be a premiere Catholic youth center in the country, raising youth to high ideals as we serve and guide them on their spiritual journeys journeys with with Christ Christ towards towards eterna eternall life. life. VALUES We most value:
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the teachings of Christ and His Church; respect for all persons as made in God’s image; personal relationships with God; youth who long for authentic faith and morals; presenting Christ as truly human and truly divine; and faith-filled families.
A Family… MISSION We will love the Lord, our God, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds and love all others as ourselves. MISSION The mission mission of of our family family is to create create a nurturing nurturing place place of of order, order, love, love, happiness, and relaxation, and to provide opportunities for each person to become responsibly independent and effectively interdependent, in order to achieve worthwhile purposes.
An Individual… MISSION I will seek God in all things and strive for holiness as a wife and mother by nurturing a Christ-centered family that treasures our Catholic faith, ongoing personal growth, outreach to others, and unconditional love. It is my personal mission in life to love, honor, and worship God with all that I do and think. By His grace I will remain committed to my wedding vows: loving and honoring my husband, and raising our children to love God with all their hearts. Being a good wife and mother, with all that that implies, is my focus in life. – Sally (36-year-old stay-at-home mom with 4 young children) My mission in life is to become a saint. I will accomplish this mission by being a loving and loyal Catholic. I will love my wife and children and provide leadership for my family as a husband and father. I will follow the Ten Commandments in my personal life and in my business. I will be patient and, with God’s grace, wise in my counsel. I will serve others as long as I am privileged to do so. – Frank (45-year-old married businessman with 3 teenage children)
Other Personal Mission Statements… 1. At the end end of my life, life, I want to to be able to say I gave gave everything everything I had to give. give. – Anonymous 2. To live each each day in gratitude gratitude,, for true gratitud gratitude e will guard guard against against selfishnes selfishness, s, envy, self-pity, and pride. – Anonymous 3. I will explore explore my my every every gift and and talent, talent, never never wasting wasting my potentia potentiall to bring bring goodness, beauty, laughter, and light to my life and the world around me. – Anonymous 4. For myself, myself, I want to develop develop self-kn self-knowledg owledge, e, self-love, self-love, and and self-allow self-allowing. ing. I want want to use my healing talents to keep hope alive and express my vision courageously in word and action. In my family, I want to build healthy, loving relationships in which we let each other ot her become our best selves. At work, I want to establish a fault-free, self-perpetuating, learning environment. In the world, I want to nurture the development of all life forms in harmony with the laws of nature. – Anonymous 5. I will maintai maintain n a positive positive attitude attitude and and a sense sense of humor humor in everythi everything ng I do. I want to be known by my family as a caring and loving husband and father; by my business associates as a fair and honest person; and by my friends as someone they can count on. To the people who work for me and with me, I pledge my respect and will strive every day to t o earn their respect. Controlling all my actions is a strong sense of integrity which I believe to be the most important character trait. – Anonymous 6. Let then our first act every every morning morning be to make make the the following following resolve resolve for for the day: I shall not fear anyone on earth. I shall fear only God. I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth I shall put up with all suffering. - Mahatma Gandhi Decalogue 1. Never put off till tomorrow tomorrow what you can can do today. 2. Never trouble trouble another another for what what you you can do yourself. yourself. 3. Never Never spend spend your your mone money y before before you you have have it. it. 4. Never buy what what you do not not want, want, because because it is cheap; it will be be dear to to you. 5. Pride costs us more more than than hunger, hunger, thirst, and cold. cold. 6. We have have never repented repented of having having eaten eaten too too little. little. 7. Forget the mistakes mistakes of the past past and press press on to the the greater greater achieve achievements ments of the future. 8. Wear a cheerf cheerful ul countenanc countenance e at all times times and give every every living living creature creature you meet a smile. 9. Give so so much time time to the improve improvement ment of yourself yourself that you you have not not time to criticize others. 10. Be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit troubles. ~ Thomas Jefferson My Symphony To live content content with small means To seek seek elegance elegance rather rather than than luxury, luxury, and refinement refinement rather rather than than fashion; fashion; To be worth, not respectab respectable, le, and wealth wealthy, y, not not rich; rich; To study study hard, hard, think think quietly, quietly, talk gently, gently, act frankly; frankly; To listen listen to stars and birds, to babes babes and and sages, sages, with open open heart; heart;
To bear bear all cheerfully cheerfully,, to do all bravely bravely,, await await occasi occasions, ons, hurry never; never; In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the uncommon. This is is to be be my symphony. symphony. ~William Ellery Channing Benjamin Franklin's Thirteen Virtues Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing. Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly speak accordingly. Justice: Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries; or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you y ou think they deserve. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or o r habituation. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, d ullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation. Humility: Imitate Jesus or Socrates ~ To live my life life as an express expression ion of the princip principles les I believe believe in: in: People shine when given the chance to create, express and grow. Empower. People feel the need to be understood, just as, or even more strongly then the need to be loved. Listen. People don't need more opinions, o pinions, we already drown in data. People need clarity. Drill down. People learn from example, not only from words. Exemplify. People are attracted to honesty and have bullshit detectors. Be true. People need new experiences to expand their knowledge of reality. Adventure. People can learn from their mistakes. Recognize, don't don' t fear failure. People search for simple solutions to problems when they are rarely simple. Dig. People shine when they believe they can make a lasting impact, this may be the core of everything we do. Inspire. People and companies are driven by visions, not ideologies. Lead. Ignorance is fear of the truth. Truth is more important than pride. Learn. A life without passion is a life not lived. Live. Faith is the cure to doubt. Have Faith. When you forgive, you are forgiven. Forgive. Love is stronger than death. Love. ~Karl Martino
Be humble, considerate, honest, kind, loving, and most importantly forgiving, but wise. Give unselfishly to the needy, but try to provide tools for success as well: i.e., offer a job and and a handout handout.. Provide limitless love to my children and my other family members. Allow them to grow and develop unhindered of what I think is best; but allow them to painfully discover what is best for themselves. Set wide boundaries within which they may develop, wide enough where they can make decisions they will anguish over, but close enough that they will know how much I love them and that I will always morally support them. Say yes, unless there is a very good and explainable answer for no. Allow them to color in
their own future, not striving for any perceived expectations of my own or other people in their lives. Keep my word. Find weaknesses in myself and situations and choose to t o improve them. Other important values I must never forget: for get: Learning, gaining knowledge and nurturing friendships. Work and play where my integrity cannot be compromised. Refrain from building walls o allow pessimism, criticism to come in, but I will choose to learn from them, not react or hide from them Refrain from competing, but add to others’ success. Remember and thank those who have helped me. Return their kindness to others that need it. Allow my values to guide me, not jealously or other peoples’ values, competition or wealth. Look at both sides of an issue before making a decision. Realize that each decision is an independent decision, not necessarily directly related to past or future decisions, d ecisions, and take the time to gather insight to make informed decisions. Take time time every day for for reflection reflection,, to realize realize what what I learne learned, d, what what I should learn more about to say thank you, to give myself a pat on the back while looking into what I need to improve upon. Remember always that my greatest success will be through my children’s child ren’s eyes and to build and positively develop that relationship every day. "Real success is success with self; It's not having things, but in having mastery, having victory over oneself." ~ Anonymous
