Your Mission Statement

[JaredR]

Hello everybody. I'm 16, and yesterday my mom picked up the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens at a garage sale. I'm really into it so far, and it seems to be the perfect complement to the LOA/positive thinking obsession I've had all summer. Now I'm thinking about taking an interest in the broader field of personal development.

Anyway, the author covers personal mission statements in the second habit ("Begin with the end in mind"). I thought this was a worthwhile idea, so I decided to come up with own personal vision:

I will have faith in God.

I will choose to be happy and enjoy life.

I will be committed to learning and growing.

I will live every day according to my principles.

I will have compassion on others and myself.

I will be self-confident, self-reliant, and self-assured.


I'm interested in seeing some of your personal mission statements. Hopefully I can fine-tune my own.

[Mused]

Might I suggest replacing "I will" with "I am"

I am faithful in God
I am choosing to be happy and enjoy life.
I am committed to learning and growing.
etc...

Personal accountability is always a good motivator for me. I've found that "I am" is a stronger statement that helps to hold me accountable. Using "I will" leaves room for procrastination unless there is a specific date that "I will" do something by.

Best of success on your personal development journey.

[JaredR]

That sounds too much like an affirmation to me, but I understand what you mean by the value of "I am" statements. I prefer "I will" for my mission statement because these are the values and commitments I want to direct my future. It's got kind of a Boy Scout ring to it too. "On my honor, I will do my best..."

[openyourize]

Originally Posted by JaredR

I will have faith in God.

I will choose to be happy and enjoy life.

I will be committed to learning and growing.

I will live every day according to my principles.

I will have compassion on others and myself.

I will be self-confident, self-reliant, and self-assured.

I prefer "I do" statements because it makes me actually do them. of course the DO is understood...

I choose to be happy and enjoy life.

I commit to learning and growing.

I live every day according to my principles.

I have compassion on others and myself.

anyway, this is a good idea, i think i will consider my own statement and get back to this thanks!

[uberinquisitive]

To create
To express
To experience
To inspire
TO THE WORLD

Love. Beauty. Adventure. Mystery.

---

I chose four action verbs that really resonate with me.

I chose the scope: to the world. This is very different than if I had chosen TO MY INNER CIRCLE.

And I finally chose four nouns that really resonate with me.

I believe a mission statement should light your soul on fire. It should burn into your brain like a red-hot brand. It should feel like fireworks are going off behind your eyes. You should feel like pumping your fist and yelling, "yea!"

Some people may want to create a picture that explains their mission statement. Or perhaps a jingle. A piece of fabric. A certain texture. Writing out a mission statement is just one of many ways to create a mission statement.

I've created things I can hold in my hand - a screenplay - which embodies my mission statement.

In fact, I am considering putting together a slideshow of my mission statement on Keynote, with pictures, music, and words. A true multi-media extravaganza.

Point is - don't be afraid to go outside the box. Your mission statement in your compass and map. It doesn't have to be a certain way. All it needs to do is fill you with energy and inspiration.