Five Steps to Creating a Powerful  Personal Mission Statement

 

There are few things that I’ve done in my life that have helped guide me and my decisions more than a personal mission statement.

I’m not talking about a lose idea rolling around in my overly-amped mind but a thought out, written down statement that describes me and my life’s direction.

 

But I struggled developing this statement not because I didn’t see the value. I struggled because I simply didn’t know how. Every method out there seemed overly complicated and non-transferable to my life and situation. Good content, simply non-transferrable. Minor detail.

So, I spent an extensive amount of time to develop a five step process to creating a powerful mission statement that I was not only proud of but would be a source of deep conviction for me and guide my life.

 

Here are Five Steps to Creating a Powerful Personal Mission Statement:

1. Understand the Purpose

Before you even consider taking the time (and it will take some precious time) to creating a mission statement, you need to know the purpose.

What is a mission? It’s a calling or assignment.

I love when I can think my mission statement is a calling first and foremost. So, if I can find a calling, a purpose, I can be called to action that is ultimately my assignment.

And in a way, it’s a secret mission or specific assignment. People don’t offer know what I’m called or assigned to do nor should they; but hopefully they will ultimately feel the effect.

Here’s a working definition of a mission statement – provides clarity and gives you a sense of purpose. It defines who you are and how you will live.

A Personal Mission Statement could be a life mission. But more than likely it’s a season of life personal mission that is revisited and tweaked every few years.

My Personal Mission Statement at the age of 25 looks dramatically different than at the age of 46 now.

The purpose should be your why. What is at stake if you do NOT accomplish your personal mission statement?

 

2. Follow the Rules

If you’re going on a specific mission, you need rules to make it happen. Here are five quick but challenging rules to help you craft your mission statement:

• Brief – one sentence and no more
• Clear – I know exactly what I’m called to do
• Positive – uses uplifting, encouraging, empowering words
• Memorable – if you can’t remember it, what’s the point?
• Motivating – powerful words to move you to action

You may choose more rules, but I suggest you implement at least these five rules.

  

3. Work the Process

 So you may be thinking, I understand the purpose and realize there are rules I need to follow, but how do I actually come up with ideas to create my personal mission statement?

This is the subjective but magical part of the program.

For me it began by asking the following key questions:

• When do you feel you help others or the world?
• What is a problem you want to help solve?
• What do you ultimately want to accomplish?
• What would leave you with a sense of fulfillment and pride if advanced or completed?
• What gives your life meaning and purpose?

I wrote down the answers to these questions and spent some time thinking about if this sums up what defines a mission – a sense of calling and a possible assignment in my life.

If you spend time in THINK SPACE, you will develop ideas that resonate with you at the deepest level and let you know you’re on to something!

This led me to the fourth step in the process.

 

4. Use the Formula

This is the structure of the statement, the secret sauce that allows you to apply the rules for a powerful statement.

Now, you do NOT have to use this formula, but I found it’s at least a good starting point to keep your sentence brief and memorable.

1^st Suggested Formula

ACTION VERB / WHO / DO or ACCOMPLISH WHAT / HOW

What does that look like with real words? Here’s my personal mission statement:

Personal Example

Helping the Motivated Grow Holistically by Creating, Communicating, and Connecting

• Action Verb – helping
• Who – the motivated
• Do or Accomplish What – grow holistically
• How – by creating, communicating, and connecting

 

2nd Suggested Formula 

To… (what you want to achieve, do, or become)… so that… (reasons why it is important). I will do this by… (specific behaviors or actions to accomplish this mission).

Here is using my mission statement with the 2^nd suggested formula:

Personal Example

To help the Motivated so they can grow holistically. I will do this by creating, communicating, and connecting.

• To – help the motivated
• So That – they can grow holistically
• I Will Do This By – creating, communicating, and connecting

I just encourage you to keep the statement simple. You want to be able to remember and recite it in a moment’s notice.

I tweaked my statement for weeks until I felt a peace with the final outcome.

I encourage you to constantly improve the statement by concentrating on each word until you ultimately feel a pace about the final sentence.

 

5. Live the Words

I absolutely loved going through these stages to creating my own personal mission statement. But it doesn’t stop here.

Your Personal Mission Statement must be reviewed consistently. I started putting it on a 3×5 card that I put on my desk and carried it with me when I traveled.

I also chose to put my Personal Mission Statement in a document called My Three Year Vision Plan which I review a portion daily along with my Personal Core Values.

You may choose the same or some other way of reminding you to live these words out in your daily life. This is the whole point of going through this process and creating this live, life giving and directing statement.

 

Complete Not Complex…

One major struggle and conflict is not trying to include EVERYTHING into the sentence, which would make it a paragraph. It’s the essence of your calling / purpose / assignment in your life right now.

And remember, the five rules:

• Brief
• Clear
• Positive
• Memorable
• Motivating

 

Closing Challenge…

So, are you ready to use these five steps to create your own powerful personal mission statement?

This is not an exercise for the faint of heart. It takes time, thought, soul searching, and a desire to make a difference with your life in a powerful way. That’s where the descriptive word of “powerful” comes in to play and not just a formality of words on a paper.

My prediction is if you’ve read this far, you’re motivated to take this challenge and follow the five steps necessary to creating this life changing statement:

• Understand the Purpose
• Follow the Rules
• Work the Process
• Use the Formula
• Live the Words

I would absolutely love to hear your final personal mission statement. If you have any questions or would like to share your statement with me, please email me at: Bryan@BryanPaulBuckley.com

My hope and desire is this process will be revealing and a catalyst to living a life of purpose. Find your mission and accomplish it!

 

Closing Question…

What is holding you back from taking the necessary time to creating this life changing statement?

 

Four Revealing Steps to Creating Your Personal Core Values

 

Every single person has a set of values that they adhere to whether they realize it or not.

The problem is most people cannot define their values let alone have values that line up with what is truly important to them. Is that statement true of you?

 

What is a value?

A set of pre-decided standards that are important to us and ultimately guide our behavior.

Life isn’t always black and white. Values are like a compass that point us to our true north especially in the gray areas of life.

When hit with challenging times, we need to rely heavily on these values to keep us strong and holding on to what is truly important to us.

“Values should determine your priorities, and deep down, they’re probably the measures you use to tell if your life is turning out the way you want it to.” (Mind Tools article – What Are Your Values?)

For example, if you value family and work 60-70 hours of week, you may have inner conflict because your behavior does not reflect your value.

Determining your values is a very personal process. What resonates with you will be different for me.

Here are four revealing steps to help you determine your core values:

 

Step 1 – CONSIDER

If you do this step alone, you’re ahead of so many people because most have never stopped and considered what are their own values. But don’t stop here.

Simply do a Google search for “personal values list”. Here is one link to get you started: www.JamesCleam.com/core-values

Look through this and other lists and just begin writing down words that resonate with you. This stage is simply revealing options for you to consider before you begin to narrow the list down in other steps.

Another angle is answering the following questions:

• What makes you the happiest?
• What bothers you when you do certain things that seem important to you?
• What makes you proud?
• When do you feel your life is the most aligned?
• When do you feel “off” in your life?
• How do you define success?
• What are my moral absolutes?
• When do I feel my absolute best about myself?

Note: For an additional resources, Inc.com offers some additional core value questions found here.

The ultimate goal of this step is to go from “I value anything and everything” to considering what is really important to you.

 

Step 2 – CHOOSE

Once you have your list of possibilities, you must narrow down the list. You may have circled or written down 20 or more words. Good for you. No worries.

But now the process is working that large number down to just a handful. Try to get the number down to ten.

James Clear said, “If everything is a core value, then nothing is really a priority.” You need to choose a certain number to own at a deep level.

Once you have your ten, let’s concentrate on five values right now (you can go down to as little as three or as many as seven but start at a total of five).

These are the words that have the deepest meaning to you and resonate at the deepest level.

Those five will become your core values. You may have others on the list that are important but choosing only five will make them core to you.

 

Step 3 – CONFIRM

Now that you have your main five core values, do they truly reflect what is important to you?

Are they YOUR values or what you feel is expected of you? Your core values are YOUR core values and must be yours in order to truly own them.

Another key question asked by Dr. Nick Howard, is “do they bring the best out of you?” I love that question because it forces you to confirm if the value ultimately motivates you to become the person you long to be.

Confirm these five core values truly resonate with you at the deepest level. Have a peace that these words have meaning and value to you and will cause you to action.

 

Step 4 – COMMIT

It’s one thing to define them but a completely different thing to own and live by them.

Part of the commitment process is reviewing your values on a consistent basis. I put my core values in my Vision Work, an exhaustive description of who and what I want to become three years from right now. I consistently review my Vision Work which allows me to also review my Personal Core Values.

They need to be more than just words on a piece of paper but have the power to guide our behavior especially when hit with challenging times.

The goal is that if you live out your five core values, you will become the person you long to be and these words will inspire, motivate, and challenge you to become that person.

Note, often, reviewing your values, will bring a level of conviction if you’re not living them out in your daily life. This is good. And this is the point! You want these values to have power to guide your behavior and change your life.

 

One Suggestion…

Once you’ve described your five core values, consider defining them.

Give a one sentence well-crafted description of what that value looks like when lived out on a daily basis.

This will put meaning to your value and hopefully motivate or possibly convict you when reviewing your values.

 

Personal Example…

Here are my five personal core values. They are just that, very personal. My faith is critical to me as you will see in my first two values:

Presence – I seek to practice the presence of God and encounter Him and others daily by being fully present

Honor – I honor God and others with my thoughts, words, and actions

Growth – I am always learning and developing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually

Health – Nutrition, Fitness, and Rest are foundational to my energy and success

Simplicity – I seek the disciplined pursuit of less and strive for the vital few not the trivial many

These are my five core values that I review at least weekly. I hope they serve as an example of what I value and motivate and challenge you to find your own core values.

 

Closing Challenge…

This is not one of these exercises you can do when you have time. A busy, motivated professional never “just has time.”

This must be a scheduled time to define and develop your core values. Use Think Space to work on this very important project.

I challenge you to block out some time in the next week and go through these four steps to creating your Personal Core Values.

It will be a challenging yet such a rewarding process if you seek to develop your personal core values.

I would love to hear of your progress, questions, or final five core values defined. Please reach out to me: Bryan@BryanPaulBuckley.com

 

Closing Question…

Is my life at a place where taking time to define and develop my Personal Core Values is truly important to me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Have the FEAR of MISSING OUT Syndrome?

 

I don’t like missing out on things. If I hear of something, I want to be a part of it. I like to be involved and have experiences.

But I have found this thinking can and has led me into trouble when I also desire to eat healthy at home but especially while traveling on business. I’ve found I simply cannot always have both. Insert “ARGH” here.

I’ve defined this as FOMO = Fear of Missing Out

It’s not to the extreme of a fear of snakes, heights, or even dying but becomes very real to me when I feel like I’m going to miss out on something.

Let me give you an all too often example. I take a partner or customer out to dinner and the “price is no option” becomes front and center. So, that means appetizers, the best steak, the darkest chocolate dessert, and wine. And oh do I like and know wine.

Let the games begin.

But herein lies the problem. Do I HAVE to eat or drink everything in front of me? In the moment it sure feels that way and hence FOMO.

 

This is because I’ve believed the following four assumptions:

 

1. It Won’t Be Around Later

I fall for this all of the time. If I don’t “jump right in”, the appetizer everyone wants will be gone. Or I need to get one of the first bites of dessert.

And worse for me, what if I don’t stay close to the wine?! You know, there’s always the person who gets the good wine poured into THEIR glass to be polite and doesn’t even like wine! Oh the problems I need to solve in advance.

I simply assume that it won’t be around later if I wait or it’s a one time offer.

 

2. I Cannot Handle the Pressure of the Temptation

This may be self-imposed. I can believe the press ahead of time before I even show up so why even try. I’m going to give in anyway.

Or it’s the company of others who are the friends you should’ve avoided in school who said, “come on, one time won’t hurt you.”

But if I plan on going in to cave, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. The problem is they really don’t care THAT much and if I’m prepared for a couple seconds of “pressure” (if you can even call it that), you’re almost always home free.

But it makes for a great excuse ahead of time and increases FOMO.

 

3. I Feel Like I Need It

Before the meal, I feel like I could take it or leave it. But in the moment, oh how the mind can convince me that I absolutely need it. And just one bite or sip. Then just “one more”.

The problem is “just one more” becomes the gift that keeps on giving for me.

I don’t NEED it. I WANT it. Big difference. And this “seemingly overwhelmingly” want can fade so quickly.

Once I come to terms with the difference and get to the point of take it or leave it, you would be surprised what you actually need. I’d like it but don’t but don’t have to eat or drink it.

 

4. I Will Regret It Later If I Don’t Do It Now

This is my Achilles Heel in FOMO. I feel like I’m going to regret not having that killer appetizer or once in a lifetime glass or bottle of wine.

In the moment, I make a bigger deal of it that it really is and as a result, I regret it before dinner is even complete. I MUST partake because there is no other option.

This is because I’ve not considered the regret is self-imposed and has been created by me and only me.

I may miss “wondering” what it was like, but very few things with food or drink do I ACTUALLY regret.

 

How to Minimize FOMO:

Willing to Sacrifice Now for a Better Later

This is the line I need to memorize and have front and center. I need to ultimately be willing to sacrifice now, whatever I feel like I am going to miss or regret, for a better later.

And this for me is staying in great shape which is the ultimate challenge on the road. So, as a result, I need to be willing to sacrifice the short term for the long term.

And when I do, it’s worth it because I’ve demonstrated self-control and thinking of my preferred future more than my immediate gratification.

It’s always worth it in the end. I just need to get to the end. I can and you can too!

 

Closing Challenge…

If we have a strong desire to improve how we look and feel, we need to address the issue of FOMO. I hear one of these excuses all of the time when traveling. And what are they? FOMO. And avoidable.

So, did you see yourself in one of these assumptions? You can minimize and conquer FOMO when you decide and commit to sacrificing now for a better later.

I challenge you to look at what you fear you will miss out and commit to “Making the Healthiest Choice” when you travel.

 

Closing Question…

How does the Fear of Missing Out affect you personally?