Writing a Personal Mission Statement

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Tuesday Deep Dive: Building a Personal Mission Statement

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Building a personal mission statement… this can sound a little fluffy at first and definitely feel fluffy – believe me – but in all honesty, it is one of the most valuable things I have done to date. Building my mission statement was both difficult and rewarding, and I feel pretty vulnerable writing about it today, but hey, sometimes you just gotta hit send. So, let’s get into it.

What is a personal mission statement?

In his fantastic (but very dense) book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey introduces the idea of a personal mission statement in chapter two (Begin with the End in Mind). It is pretty self-explanatory but let me give you Covey’s definition:

“A personal mission statement is a fundamental declaration of your purpose in life. It outlines your core values, goals, and how you intend to live your life. It serves as a personal constitution, guiding your decisions and actions.”

Or in my more layman’s terms, it is a statement that is clearly written to explain the why behind everything you do. See some examples of personal mission statements below:

1. To live a life of integrity, compassion, and service. By cultivating strong relationships and continuous learning, I aim to inspire and uplift others while making a positive impact on my community.

2. To live a life of balance and fulfilment, marked by personal growth, meaningful relationships, and contribution to society. I will prioritise physical, mental, and spiritual well-being while pursuing my passions with enthusiasm.

3. To create a loving and supportive family environment while actively contributing to the betterment of my community. I will strive for balance, integrity, and service to others.

Depending on how you look at it (AKA if you’re kind of immature like me), they can sound pretty cringe sometimes. But I think this is because introspection is such a vulnerable task that some of us (generally young men) feel uncomfortable thinking about. However, we know the importance of seeking discomfort, so let’s unpack it ;).

Where do you start?

Because it can be pretty daunting and overwhelming to just start writing, Stephen Covey wrote a whole chapter (that I would highly recommend reading) detailing different thought exercises you can do first. Here is my summary of the parts I found most useful/important. Note: you probably want at LEAST a good hour to get started from my experience.

1. The Funeral Exercise

Imagine you are at your own funeral. There are to be four speakers: a family member, a friend, a colleague and member of your community. What would you like them to say about you? How would you like them to remember you? What difference do you hope to have made in their lives?

Take your time and record your honest thoughts.

2. Developing a Principle Centre

Consider your current ‘centre’ - the key factors that drive you. Are you Partner-Centred, Family-Centred, Money-Centred, Work-Centred, Pleasure-Centred, Self-Centred, or Principle-Centred? Covey explains that most people are generally a mix, but that we should all strive to be Principle-Centred.

My interpretation of this was to brainstorm 3-5 principles/values that were most important to me. These principles now form my ‘centre’. I would suggest doing the same 😅.

3. Identifying Roles and Goals

Think of the most important roles in your life. For example: son/daughter, brother/sister, friend, partner, student/professional, athlete, scholar etc. What are your goals in each of these roles? What impact do you want to have?

List as many roles as you’d like and record your goals.

4. Draft One

Now, with all of this personal information in hand, it is time have a crack at writing a personal mission statement. Remember it is just a draft so there is no pressure - it doesn’t need to be perfect. If you are lazy, (I don’t recommend this, but I am also realistic and did this myself), preload ChatGPT with all of the info from parts 1-3 and ask it to write a few drafts. If you ask for statements with different styles, structures, and lengths, they can be used as handy building blocks. 

Once you are happy with your draft, write it down and come back to it every week or so. As you see fit, continue to refine and edit your statement into the future.

And there you have it, that is pretty much exactly what I did to build a mission statement of my own.

But, Why?

It has been six months since I wrote mine and I really cannot explain how transformational this process has been for me. I mentioned it in The Quarter-Life Crisis, but my statement is one of the biggest things I am leaning on right now. Even though I don’t exactly know where I will end up in the next few years, it gives me comfort knowing that as long as each of my actions aligns with my mission statement, I am moving in the right direction (this could be naive, but I back it ;). 

It is kind of like my guiding star. Whenever I am tossing up options or questioning what I should do, I think of the man I want to be, AKA my mission statement, before taking action.

And if you want to know Covey’s great explanation, read the book 😆.

I really hope that this might be as useful to you as it was to me!

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