Have you created your mission statement?

So have you? You can read my mission statement in the About section of the website. I thought mission statements were only for businesses and organizations. Is a mission statement necessary for an individual? Well, I am writing about it so I will say yes it is. In all seriousness, an individual’s mission statement serves the same function as an organization’s mission statement.

A mission statement is defined as a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual. I didn’t know individuals were included in the official definition until conducting research for this post. Wikipedia states that a mission statement is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, identifying the goal of its operations, what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation. It may include a short statement of such fundamental matters as the organization’s values or philosophies, a business’s main competitive advantages, or a desired future state – often called the vision. Yep, I quoted Wikipedia…

Take a moment, source aside, can’t you see the applicability of that definition to your life? If you are a busy parent, professional, retiree, etc. don’t you sometimes feel like you have to run your life like a business? Well I do. I use my mission statement as an expression of my desires, intent, and identity; something to keep me focused on who I am becoming. My mission statement includes my core values. Yours doesn’t have to but I would challenge you to write a mission statement. I anticipate that after you write your mission statement you will gain more clarity about your life, your actions, and your next steps. You will realize that actions, tasks, and people that are not in line with your mission, will become less important.

My mission statement

To live my life and write my story on my terms. To be present in each moment. To seek to inspire and influence those I am privileged to encounter on my journey. To understand that regret is not a part of my journey because I choose to continually grow and learn each day from all decisions made; good or bad. To be intentional with who and what I allow into my life.

Core Values

• Faith is the cornerstone of my foundation.
• Failure is not the opposite of perfection but rather a part of it.
• I am enough.
• Live without regret. Each decision, good or bad, helped me to become the person I am today.
• No excuses. If I didn’t achieve something, it is because it was not important enough to me.