Who are you, and what do you want?

Image Source: Flickr. Crystal Ball/Hands/Person.

Personal mission statements are a way to begin answering those questions. Personal mission statements help us tell others about who we are, clarify goals and chart a course of action (at least for now!).

Do You Know These Corporate Mission Statements?

Corporations use mission statements all the time.  Mission statements are one way businesses can separate themselves as unique.

Here are some mission statements for some very familiar businesses:

To refresh the world…

To inspire moments of optimism and happiness…

To create value and make a difference

To bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people’s desires and needs.

When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. 

It’s about enjoyment at the speed of life – sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. 

Always full of humanity.

How Do I Write My Own Mission Statement?

What does it mean to write a personal mission statement?  According to Ronald S. Hanson in The Five Step Plan for Creating Personal Mission Statements:

“Writing a personal mission statement offers the opportunity to establish what’s important and perhaps make a decision to stick to it before we even start a career.”

Steven Covey (in First Things First) refers to developing a mission statement as“connecting with your own unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes from fulfilling it.”

We can ask ourselves: What is my uniquepurpose?  What kind of person do I want to be?  What kind of “personal brand” would I like to create for myself?  What am I good at?  What makes me different?

When I am old, what do I want people to say about me?

Personal mission statements are less about the things we want to do, and more about the kind of person we want to be.

Think Different.  Be Different.

Sometimes when we write personal mission statements we veer too close to cliche.  Cliches are those statements that people repeat over and over, causing them to lose any real meaning.

Plus, cliches are boring and unimaginative.  Here are some common cliches:

I want to be happy.

I want to make a difference.

I love people.

I want to be a leader.

I value family and friends.

I want to live life to the fullest.

How do we avoid cliches? By being very specific.  By thinking hard about what is really different about ourselves.  And by writing with flair.

Image Source: Flickr. Morning Cigarette.