Goal Setting, Leadership, Productivity

Career Success and Your Personal Mission Statement

Reaching goals in life are important to all of us. Whether it’s having a satisfactory relationship or becoming a better leader, having a personal mission statement will guide your actions and decisions to help you successfully meet your personal and career goals.

When using a personal mission statement along with a personal value statement, you can put into perspective where your life is headed and the reason you wake up each day with purpose and excitement.

Why is a personal mission statement important?

Being aware of your personal mission statement not only guides your daily actions, decisions, and behaviors but encourages you to higher performance and goal achievement.

Writing your mission statement is not difficult, but it will involve soul-searching and learning more about yourself. By taking a close look at your values, goals, who you want to be, and who you want to become will lead you to the success you want to achieve.

  1. A personal mission statement is a statement describing who you are and what you stand for.
  1. A personal mission statement gives you guidance, organization, purpose, and success in reaching your personal and career goals.
  1. Your mission statement will help you make career decisions when you are at a career crossroad, deciding to change jobs, or deciding if it is time to begin a new career path.
  1. A mission statement states your core values, what is important to you, and what you want to focus on.
  1. A mission statement guides decision-making as you work with others and guides your behaviors and actions to match your words.

How to write a personal mission statement –

When writing your personal mission statement, think deeply and honestly about yourself. Here are some questions to think about when developing your mission statement:

  • What are my talents?
  • What do I value?
  • What are my personal values?
  • What am I passionate about?
  • What are my life goals?
  • Who do you want to be/career you want to work in?

Take a look at the examples of talents, values, passions, and goals below to help you get started. These lists are by no means complete, so take a good look at yourself and then use these lists as a springboard to guide your personal mission statement.

What are your talents?

Knack for Languages Good Listener Organized Accurate
Artistic Athletic Caring Curious
Entertaining Flexible Friendly Focused
Honest Independent Leader Optimistic
People Skills Problem Solver Strategic Thinker Detail-Oriented
Public Speaker Planner Good with Your Hands Writer

What do you value?

Health Life Satisfaction Peace of Mind Control
Relationships Education Community Environment
Income Job Money Power
Safety Fame Image Individuality

What are your personal values?

Confidence Compassion Sympathy Dedication
Ambition Resourcefulness Integrity Independence
Honesty Loyalty Optimism Generosity
Courage Dignity Friendliness Innovativeness

What are you passionate about?

Travel Religion Family Community
Relationships Creativity Sports Successfulness
Being True to Yourself Hobbies Education Caring for Others

What are your life goals?

Own Your Own Home Influence Others Get Married Have Children
Healthy Lifestyle Travel Be Financially Free Write a Book
Being Happy Intellectual Growth Enjoying Life Pursuing Passions

Who do you want to be/career you want to work in?

Artist Tourism Agriculture Fashion
Engineer Medical Public Service Finance
Product Development Education Marketing/Sales Computer Technology
  • Write your personal mission statement in a positive manner as it should energize you so you look forward to fulfilling your statement each day. Don’t make your statement about what you don’t want in life.
  • Keep your statement simple. Use several sentences to focus on who are, who you want to become, and what you want to achieve in life. What do you expect from yourself?
  • It is important to periodically review your mission statement to match new goals and values you wish to attain.

Below are some personal mission statement templates to help get you started.

  • I value (choose three values) because (why these values are important to you).
  • To (what do you want to achieve, become, or do) so that (why these are important to you).
  • I will achieve these goals by (special actions or behaviors that will help you reach these goals).
  • My mission is to use (list abilities/passions) to achieve (list what you want to be/do) based on my (list values/talents).
  • I want to (list what you want to do/be) because (list why this is important to you).

Do you have a personal mission statement? Do you think you would lead your life differently if you did? I would love to know what you think!

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