Posted on June 13, 2011 by Rob Pineau

Have you ever noticed how organizations develop a mission statement and let all their employees know about the company’s values? Values like respect, stewardship, or quality. The business wants all the employees to foster and contribute to their mission in a way that upholds and demonstrates their values. They believe this will help them succeed. That’s well and good for the companies, but what about you? Do you have a personal mission statement and list of values that you live by? After all, aren’t you the sole proprietor of the business of your life?

Many of my clients find it beneficial when they clarify and articulate their values. These values, which are often unspoken, and which influence decisions and behaviors, become points on a compass that they can refer to and use to gauge if they are headed in the right direction. If your values are the points on your life’s compass, then your personal mission statement is kind of like the Magnetic North. What are you intending to do with your life? What is the impact you wish to create, the legacy you want to leave? Who do you need to be for this to happen? What does success look like to you in your life?

Personal mission statements can be simple or complex. What’s most important is that they be yours and that you have fun and be creative when coming up with one. Most coaches have various techniques, including visioning exercises that really help individuals in collecting and organizing ideas for their unique mission statement. For some people their statement may not use words, they may use a vision board or a song instead. Of course you can also have mission statements that are specific to certain parts of your life, for instance, your career or even relationships.

When I did my first mission statement I had it posted at work and I’d say it to myself daily. Then, after a while, I forgot about it. It faded from memory and was rarely referenced. My point is that much like a compass, to be useful you need to take it out and have a look at it once in a while!

Have some fun and be more intentional about articulating what’s important to you and where you are going in life. Remember, a personal mission statement is one that has meaning for you; it needn’t make sense to others. Enlist the help of your friends or partner, search the Internet for examples, or if you work with a coach ask them about helping you with a personal mission statement. Once you have one, be sure to set up some way of reconnecting with it and tuning into it once in a while. Remember, small course corrections on a compass over a long journey can make a huge difference in where you end up!