photo by Jill E. Williams
Writing a personal mission statement is something that I always had my college and summer students (who were in high school) do. Mission statements allow you to voice what it is you want for yourself, how you want to be the world, what matters to you, your dreams. Claiming all of this for yourself, in writing, can be a powerful tool in your journey to self-acceptance and empowerment. The other day, I found the mission statement that I wrote at 25, when I was still searching but definitely focusing in on who I wanted to be and how I wanted to be in the world.
Mission Statement
embrace my spirituality.
Cull Wisdom.
Pull out the bones and marrow of life.
Allow relationships to grow.
Serve inwardly and outwardly…
BUT MAKE IT HOW I LIVE AND NEVER WHAT I “DO.”
Value Balance.
FOSTER NATURAL APPRECIATION.
Appreciate all those things that merit appreciation.
Celebrate Simplicity.
Be concerned with how I leave things
while reflecting on how I am left.
LOVE PEOPLE NOT THINGS.
Generate voice, facilitate expression.
Take Big Bites.
Send Flowers.
Feel.
Laugh.
USE MY PASSION.
When I lead mission statement workshops, I borrow from a tool in Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and have participants list their values, the roles they played in life and the tribute they most wanted someone to associate with them in that role, and then the dreams they had for themselves and their lives if they had limitless resources. From there, they would create maps, using symbols to link similar themes throughout so they knew which notions were recurring and really needed mentioning in their mission statements. When it came time to write, I encouraged them to do it in a form that resonated with them. At 25, for me, that was a laundry list of declarative sentences. Now, mine is one complex sentence.
Rosie Molinary specializes in encouraging individuals to explore, integrate, and solidify their voices in order to empower them to live authentically, empowerd by their own truth, confidence, hope, passion and action.
The one sentence approach is nice because it is something that you can memorize and have as a soundbite reminder for yourself whenever you need it, but, sometimes, you need a laundy list. At 25, I did. Ultimately, what’s most important is for the mission statement to be positive and to serve as a guide in your daily life, a compass point to make sure you are always moving towards your own true north. Think about writing a mission statement today as a way to embrace the life you are living, the life you most want to live. Start with your list of roles, tributes, and values– maybe even share one or two here!– and then build from there. Feel free to share your mission statements here, too!
