Here Lies You! How to Create a Personal Mission Statement
He left just as quickly as he came, there was no time for small talk or pleasantries. He knew what he wanted, grabbed it and exited stage right.
Yes, the Grim Reaper had just paid me a visit and left with my soul. The party was over, and now I was laying there surrounded by family and friends – not to mention a crapload of flowers.
What were they going to say about me and my life? What would they say about my contributions to the world? How would my eulogy play out?
If the preceding paragraph made you a little uneasy…good! That was the point. Though a bit morbid, my hope is that it struck a bit of a chord with you.
Do you wonder what people will say about you when the Reaper comes for you? Do you wonder what they will say about your life and your contributions to the world? Is there anything you can do now to affect what they say and how they remember you?
The answer is yes.
You see, I asked myself those same questions a few years ago when I went through an exercise to create my personal mission statement. And I challenge you to do the same – but not yet. Not before we discuss what personal mission statements are, why they are important and how to create them.
A couple months back, Howie did a great video on why you need a personal mission statement. However, he did not go into the details on how to create one. Seeing as how they are so important, today we are going to walk you through the steps of how to create your own personal mission statement.
Oh – and in case you were wondering what I want people to say about me? We will get to that too.
But first…
What is a Mission Statement?
In business, a mission statement is a declaration of the reason for the existence of an organization. It should be short and memorable, as well as noble and motivational; no more than 12 words max!!! The shorter the better. It should be easily remembered by all stakeholders of the organization and should be used in decision-making at all levels within the organization.
Below are some examples of good organizational mission statements; short and memorable. They should give you goosebumps.
IKEA: To create a better everyday life for the many people.
JetBlue: To inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground.
Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
TED: Spread ideas.
Mission statements are constructed using several methods:
One method is for the president to develop a mission statement in the privacy of his or her own mind.
Another method is for top management to go off on a retreat and come back with a mission statement.
Yet another method is for top management, in conjunction with the organization’s stakeholders, to develop a mission statement.
All 3 methods are viable.
Now that we know what an organizational mission statement is…
What is a Personal Mission Statement?
As Howie said in his video, “If you don’t know where you want to go, any road will get you there.”
To expand on Howie’s analogy above, you can think of a personal mission statement as a roadmap for your life that will make sure you take the right road to where you want to go!
Just as a mission statement is a declaration of the reason for the existence of an organization, a personal mission statement is a declaration or statement of the reason for the existence of you. It clarifies your purpose and reason for existence, as well as the direction you are headed.
Why is it Important?
Having a personal mission statement helps keep you focused on where you want to go, so you don’t get distracted by attractive distractors.
It can also help you to:
Make better decisions – instead of making decisions haphazardly, you will start to make them based on how well they align with your personal mission statement.
Prioritize and allocate your time – you will have an easier time prioritizing tasks and allocating your time.
Say yes or no – it will be easier for you to say yes to certain things and no to certain things.
Reflect – which will allow you to live with purpose as your life will be more focused and centered around your values, beliefs, and goals.
How to Create a Personal Mission Statement
There are a few steps I took when creating my personal mission statement that I will walk you through now. The one thing you need to understand is that this isn’t something you can crank out in a few hours or even in a few days. It is something that may take a few weeks or even a few months; you really need to take time and reflect on what is important to you. Your personal mission statement should cover all aspects of your life.
Below is a subset of what I did to give you an idea…
Step 1: Values
First, reflect on and write down all of the values you hold near and dear.
For me, some of my values are:
Kindness
Integrity
Honesty
Persistence
Respect
Step 2: Beliefs
Second, reflect on and list out some of your beliefs.
Some of my beliefs are:
I am 100% responsible for my life.
We should always be trying to get better.
You can learn something from everyone you meet.
Relationships are the most important thing in life.
Without your health you have nothing.
Step 3: Priorities
Next, think about and write down some of your priorities:
Some of mine are:
Great relationships with family and friends.
Mental, physical and spiritual health.
Taking time to learn and get better every day.
Never be complacent.
Step 4: Cue the Grim Reaper!
Now, list out some of the things you want people to say or think about you at your funeral. This is your legacy and how you would like to be remembered.
Some of mine:
“Rick was a great husband/friend/brother/twerker”.
“Rick was always fun to be around and always positive, upbeat and optimistic”.
“You could trust Rick, he had integrity”.
“Rick was always trying to get better”.
“Rick was constantly looking out for others and trying to help them fulfill their potential”.
Step 5: Create your mission statement
Finally, after taking time to reflect in the first 4 steps, you can now incorporate themes from them to come up with a short and memorable personal mission statement.
A few things to keep in mind, your personal mission statement should be:
Short and memorable – so you can summon it at a moment’s notice when you need it.
Positive and optimistic.
Stated in the present tense.
Something that gives you goosebumps.
My personal mission statement is as follows:
“To improve myself and others every day”.
Step 6: Test Your Mission Statement
After you create it, you need to test it using the criteria checklist.
Other than the things to keep in mind above, your personal mission statement should also be able to:
Help you make big decisions in your life.
Determine if you should say yes or no to opportunities.
Help you prioritize tasks and allocate your time.
Change and evolve as you yourself change and evolve!
Step #7: Use It!
Now that you have a personal mission statement, write it down and keep it in your wallet or somewhere that you will see it and review it and use it every day!
Damn, I forgot one thing…
…that I wanted people to say about me at my funeral!
“Damn for an old dude, he still has some sweet guns!”
Yes, I suppose I am a little vain – but, no one is perfect!
And on that note, time to end this blog post and hit the gym…
I don’t want to let the people down at my funeral…
Until next time, keep reflecting, keep flexin’ and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick
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References
Gitlow, H. Melnyck, R., and Levine, D. (2015), Guide to Lean Six Sigma and Process Improvement for Practitioners and Students: Foundations, DMAIC, Tools, Cases and Certification, 2nd, edition, Prentice-Hall Publishers (Old Tappan, NJ)
I really like this post. It makes one think about their value system for sure and how it can be incorporated into their mission statement. I think if we all pursued the values you listed the world would be a better place for everyone. Unfortunately , many people are on a journey that is only self- serving. We must look after ourselves but I think we should help others when we can. Good read. Thanks Eileen
Agreed, thanks for the comment!
I have never considered a personal mission statement. When you are a grunt peasant, your goal is to survive each day without having your ass handed to you on a platter. I was once asked in a job interview “what would you like written on your tombstone?” I thought for a moment, coming up with some really snarky answers, but thought better not say those So my response was “He tried to do his best.” I have no idea if the interviewer liked the reply or not. However I did not get that job. No big deal.
When you get to my age (and you will) one’s goals and purpose tend to be rather limited. It was on Father’s Day where my daughter asked me such a question: “What’s your next goal in life?” To me, the answer was obvious – “to attend my grand daughter’s college graduation.” Incidentally, she’s 3.
In my opinion, your choice of companies leaves a lot to be desired. For example – Ikea’s mission statement should be “To write assembly and installation instructions in such a way that no sane person can comprehend them.” For Tesla: “How to burn through $200+ million dollars and still not achieve scheduled production” Tesla’s outcome should be interesting, if Musk fails and declares Tesla bankrupt, a Saudi Arabian cartel will own everything, including his toothbrush – he’s that much in debt. Unfortunately, at the present time I do not see a way out for him (or Tesla). Tesla excelled with their concepts in robotics and just-in-time part delivery. But recent events indicate all is not well. Musk hired a Chief of Engineering, one month later that person quit. Just last week, Tesla announced that it was reducing the number of paint colors available for the exterior. Musk announced a goal of 5000 cars per week off the assembly lines, and later had to reduce it to 3000, and even that number is in jeopardy. I’d like to see Tesla succeed, but Musk is in way over his head, and the only entity to throw him a life line was the aforementioned Saudi conglomerate.
So how am I going to achieve the goal of setting in the audience watching my grand daughter graduate? So far I have stopped smoking, am slowing losing weight, and am trying to stay calm and mellow (some really good pharmaceuticals are helping). I figure I’m good for another 18 to 20 years.
Thanks as always for the comment Dave. That’s a great goal to attend your granddaughter’s grad – keep staying and active and mentally sharp like you seem to be doing and I am sure you will get there! As for the example mission statements, I don’t disagree w/ your thoughts on Ikea and Tesla, we used them more for the fact that they are brief and memorable. Most mission statements you see are WAY too long and thus no one remembers them, rendering them useless. And if you are going to have a personal mission statement it needs to be brief and memorable. Enjoy your weekend! Rick