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.
1st 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 2nd 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?
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