What is a personal mission statement, and why is it so important?

A personal mission statement let’s people know about you in a short, succinct way. It demonstrates what makes you ‘tick’.

Personal mission statements are essential if you are marketing yourself. This may be for employment, business, or even dating. A personal mission statement is part of our brand as an individual. Having a brand distinguishes you from the crowd.

A personal mission statement can also create your drive and motivation, keep you on track towards your goal, and keep your path aligned with your values.

Let’s take a look at some examples of personal mission statements and find out what is involved in crafting a powerful personal mission statement.

Start by Asking Yourself Questions

Self-searching is the start of any good personal mission statement. What are my most important values?

Values should be fundamental to a personal mission statement since our values should form the basis of all our choices.

Example: “To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.” Denise Morrison, CEO Campbell Soup Company.

Ethics and balance are Denise’s most important values, and her statement reflects that. Being a leader is a goal, which leads us to the next most important question.

What are my most important goals?

Considering what your goals are is the next step. A mission statement is intended to keep you aligned with your values and help you achieve your goals, simply put. So once you’ve got the values down, it’s time to consider your goals. This may be what you want to achieve, what type of lifestyle is important, what type of legacy you want to leave behind, overall it’s all about your aim in designing a clear understanding of your life.

Example: “To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.” Oprah Winfrey, media personality.

Oprah is clear in her aim; she wants to impart knowledge and inspire. This clearly drives her interview choices.

Who else am I trying to connect with?

It’s important to think of a personal mission statement as more than just your own guide, but part of communicating who you are with the world. If we communicate well, the world will respond to our needs. Our personal mission statements are meant to be shared so that others can help us achieve our aims, respect and support our values.

No matter what reason you have developed your personal mission statement this step is important because only when information is shared does it start to gain power.

Example: “To live life with integrity and empathy, and be a positive force in the lives of others.” Amy Ziari – founder of Pasta marketing agency.

Amy and Oprah both include other people in their mission statement. This is not a requirement, it’s personal, of course, but it is important to consider who you want to connect with and how they can help you, and you them, on your journey through life.

Some Key Points To Remember

There are only a couple of simple rules behind mission statements.

Keep it short and to the point.

A statement is just that, a statement, it is not a personal discourse. It should be short and sweet while hitting your target. A personal vision may be added to a personal mission statement, where you can elaborate, but when considering a mission statement, it needs to be direct and to the point.

Example: “To have fun in (my) journey through life and learn from (my) mistakes.” Richard Branson, founder Virgin.

This sums up Branson’s attitude towards life, and what has made him so successful. Enjoyment always motivates his business ventures, and he makes sure he continually learns from his mistakes, a critical trait for achievement. His statement is short and to the point.

Update your mission statement if you need to.

It is okay to update your mission statement, in fact, it is almost mandatory. Google’s mission statement may be one of the few companies that have hit it out of the park on their first attempt, the rest of us usually need a little refinement.

Example: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders Google

Google’s mission statement hasn’t changed since inception, but even with their success, Larry Page is currently alluding to the fact that it may soon need to.

Think About Where Your Mission Statement Will Be Shared.

Your personal mission statement is meant to be your public handle, so consider where it will be written, on your CV, your website, in social media profiles, for example.

“Transparency = Success” Jonathan Kaplan, founder of Build my Bod

Jonathan aimed to communicate his personal philosophy to his contemporaries who maybe were not always quite as ethical. His mission statement clearly fulfilled that aim.

Final Word on Mission Statements

A personal mission statement helps you define your values, and keep you on track. It should reach out to others, but most importantly it needs to have profound meaning for you.