When is the last time you thought about what you wanted to accomplish with your life? Have you been doing it?  Have you gotten off track? How do you know? Take advantage of this disruption in our lives; perhaps it is a good time to reevaluate things and create a mission statement for yourself.

What is a mission statement?

A mission statement is a short paragraph stating a clear summary of all you want to do and achieve in life both long and short term. This helps you get clarity of your purpose. Mission statements answer the following questions:

• What do I do?
• How do I it?
• Who do I do it for?
• What makes me different?
• What is the benefit?

Why write a mission statement?

There are benefits to doing this activity. Here are some of them:

• Put into words your purpose
• Provides focus
• Simplifies decision making
• Can turn down what doesn’t resonate with you, without having doubts about it
• Holds you accountable for your life
• Makes you self confident
• Keeps you motivated

How do I write my mission statement?

Start asking yourself questions, lots of questions. These are some to start with:

• How would I describe my best self?
• What do I value?
• What brings me happiness in my life?
• What do I want to be known for?
• What is important?
• How do I want to act?
• What is my dream?
• What are my short and long term goals?

Suggested Guidelines

You can write this any way you want, but a few guidelines might make it easier for you:

• Keep it short- you want this to be something you can sum up in a single sentence. A good mission statement is concise and inspirational.
• It is easy to memorize and repeat. Or write it on a card and look at it often.
• It should be clear, engaging, and realistic, and describes the future you want.
• It should state your intentions, summarize your values, and demonstrate your commitment to living up to these values.
• Its okay to make changes. As you grow and continue learning, your mission statement might evolve.

Doing it family style

Write a mission statement for your family! The idea is the same, the questions are a little different.

• What words best describe our family?
• We are at our best when…
• We are at our worst when…
• What are our strengths as a family?
• What do we like to do together?
• As a family, how can we help one another?
• As a family, what can we give to others and how can we help people outside of our family?
• What do we want others to say about our family?
• What can we change as a family?
• What are the core values we want our family to be based on?
• What does each of us want to be in the future?

Remember a mission statement is a summary of what matters to you, what you value; it has to be realistic and achievable. Revisit the questions and answers. Walk away, come back, dream more. Have your mission statement highlight was matters most to you, what you stand for and who you are committed to becoming.

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Love yourself, you deserve it!