Personal mission statements are a lot like New Year’s resolutions. They are short and sweet, and can provide a definite course of action to take for the immediate short term.

A personal mission statement is made of around five sentences, and although the actions involved are for more than one year (usually three to five years), the statement is more concerned with directions for the short-term duration.

Personalizing mission statements

Many people are familiar with corporate versions of mission statements, which give direction to an organization and its members. They serve as a guiding reason to where an organization should focus its efforts and resources.

A personal mission statement is the same thing, in principle. It gives direction to a person’s efforts and focuses their use of resources to achieve a certain goal. The whole process of writing such a statement provides an opportunity for individuals to know what goal is personally important to them and decide to reach it.

This is especially important to people who are looking for a job or are planning to start a career or venture. Coming up with personal mission statements more or less forces a person to evaluate and identify their basic values. This can make decision-making much easier, as well as lessen the amount of effort a person can expend from pursuing unimportant matters.

However, most job-seekers do not even want to make such a statement.

Writing the statement

Personal growth is a goal most people want to achieve. A personal mission statement is an important part of driving or pushing a person in a forward direction.

For job-seekers and other people, list own about four recent successes at home, at work, or in the neighborhood and look for common themes, such as are the successes concerned with creative pursuits, emotional situations, or intellectual activities. Then list down the most valued traits; try to narrow down this list to five values. Then list down the ways to help better of one’s family, friends, neighborhood, or employer. 

These steps can help narrow down the things in life that people should pay attention to. 

3 secrets to successful statements 

Successful personal mission statements are valuable in living effectively, where a person is always working towards a personal goal. 

One secret to having a successful statement is to be aware of the things which are important, in terms of family, work, as a citizen of a country, or as a member of the community. 

Second, a successful statement makes a person aware of his or her own goals. 

Third, a successful statement needs an individual to want to contribute for the betterment of his or her family, friends or community. 

Growing as an individual needs a guiding principle to live by, and personal mission statements can serve as this.