A mission statement is a written summary of what you stand for as an individual, a group, or business. This is often the first step people take on their journey to understand what they want their life to look like and where they need to be headed. Unfortunately, it’s also something that many people don’t do much more than glance over before continuing on their way with no clear understanding of what they are supposed to be doing. But this doesn't mean that writing down your mission statement isn't important. The benefits of doing so are substantial.
Your mission statement is your primary tool for driving your life forward, and it forms the foundation on which everything else in your life will rest. Describing your purpose like this allows you to have a clearer picture of what your goals should be and how you plan to achieve them. You can then identify the best ways to reach them and make sure you are staying on track, instead of wasting time on things that simply don't matter. It also directs you towards priorities that seem more compelling than others and helps you figure out what is truly important to you in life. Finally, it can be a good way to show the world who you are and express your values clearly.
In this article I’m going to explain what a mission statement is and why you should create one, followed by a detailed guide on how to write one yourself. Since there are many benefits of doing so, I’ll also tell how you can use a mission statement as the keystone of your foundations for success.
If you want more time for the things that matter most in life, writing down your mission statement is an excellent first step. It puts you well on your way towards living the life you visualize and allows you to make better decisions about the things that will help achieve your goals. It is also one of the best ways to gain clarity and bring reason to all of your decisions, guiding you towards logical choices that make sense and avoid potentially painful missteps.
What is a mission statement?
The roots of the word "mission" can be traced back thousands of years. And it’s through this history that we can learn what it's supposed to mean to everyone who has ever lived in a culture, many centuries ago.
What they all have in common is that they describe collective endeavors. Everyone knew what their mission was, because they were part of a collective project that required everyone to contribute their ideas and resources in order to achieve success. This is why they also referred to it as a "common goal" or "a common purpose".
The act of describing and defining your mission statement is a reflection of that same source, a process that puts everyone together, allowing you to connect with those around you. What the name itself does not tell us, however, is exactly what individuals are supposed to be doing on their missions.
What's in a name?
The words describing your mission statement can help you make sense of the entire process and should be chosen with care. The most important thing about these terms and phrases depends entirely on context , as it reflects different realities and situations.
The essential part of understanding a mission statement is that it refers to the entire group, not just the individual. There are countless ways individuals can describe who they are and what they stand for, but the mission statement is always out of this context.
The description of the group's purpose often relies on simple labels or descriptive words that can be interpreted differently by different people, however. These phrases can give us a general sense of what's happening at an organizational level and why certain decisions are made. Make sure you understand them all before deciding what it is you want to do with your life.