Having a purpose in life, a mission, something bigger than yourself and your personal needs is valuable in several ways. In Ohio there is a Leadership Development Institute who defines the value of writing a mission statement this way:
- It forces you to think deeply about your life, clarify the purpose of your life, and identify what is really important to you.
- It forces you to clarify and express succinctly your deepest values and aspirations.
- It imprints your values and purposes firmly in your mind so they become a part of you rather than something you only think about occasionally.
- Integrating your personal mission statement into your weekly planning, gives you a way to keep your vision constantly before you.
Can you see how a mission statement is different than just having some goals for the year? In fact your goals could and should support your life mission, whereas just having goals not tied to a mission, would make it very easy to just throw them away without any deep thought.
Most of all a mission statement should inspire you! Have you created one for yourself or how about a family mission statement? I believe that a mission statement is the beginning of keeping a family operating as a unit, on the same page, one that has a purpose – beyond the narcissistic ways we see so many operating today. Share your statement with us on Facebook. Like Balanced Life Skills while you are there.
Want some help? This is a great resource – http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Leadership/mission.htm