I’ve long struggled with having too many interests. Shiny object syndrome has been a constant battle.
I want to do all the things. I love writing. I enjoy coaching people. I have hundreds of ideas for books I want to write.
Can you relate? If so, keep reading because I may have found an answer. You need a personal mission statement.
In this post, I walk you through how to define your personal mission statement. I also share my statement and the lessons I learned when creating it.
But first, why have a personal mission statement?
I’ve already talked about having too many interests. When you have a lot of ideas but no overall plan, the result is confusing.
You don’t know where to focus your attention. You jump from one project to the next. You never allow one idea to reach its potential.
Another common struggle is having too few ideas. Perhaps you fear not being expert enough in one area or you don’t know what you’d enjoy doing.
A personal mission statement solves both these problems. It gives you clarity and focus. And it helps eliminate impostor syndrome.
As a result, you become more productive. You start living your purpose.
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Define Your Personal Mission Statement
Below I share a four-step process to define your personal mission statement. The four steps are:
- Explore your interests and desires
- Look for common themes
- Write your personal mission statement
- Live your mission
Step One: Explore Your Interests And Desires
Start by answering the following questions. Take your time and be sure to answer fully.
Don’t edit your responses or worry about what others might think. This is a private exercise.
There are no right or wrong answers. Capture everything that comes to your mind. Then dig deeper and add more ideas.
Your goal is to understand what matters most to you – not what others say you should be doing.
Here are the questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do or want to do?
- How do you help people or want to help people?
- What do you create?
- What is unique about you?
- What are you passionate about?
- How do you want other people to see you?
- What do you want to accomplish in the next five years?
Step Two: Look For Common Themes
Now, go back and review your answers. Underline any common themes. What words or ideas came up the most often?
Also, notice what’s missing in your answers. Are you doing things that don’t match your deepest desires?
Do you have interests that you aren’t exploring? Or are you already pursuing your passion?
The idea is to see how your current life and business match what’s important to you.
Step Three: Write Your Personal Mission Statement
Okay, it’s time to create your personal mission statement. This is the hardest step.
Your mission statement wants to meet the following criteria:
- Capture what matters MOST to you.
- Be large enough for you to grow into.
- Motivate you over the long haul.
- Be specific enough to give you direction, but broad enough to encompass all your interests.
- Be measurable so you know whether you’re moving in the right direction.
And if this is also a business mission statement:
- Require you to make money as you live out your mission.
Take time coming up with your mission statement. Try a few out and play with different ideas. Keep brainstorming until you land on something that sings to you.
I wrote over 20 versions of my personal mission statement before I was satisfied. You know you have it right, when you experience a surge of excitement and fear.
Step Four: Live Your Mission
Once you have your mission statement, use it as a guide.
Look for ways to bring you closer to your mission. What new activities do you want to pursue? What can you stop doing?
When you decide something, ask yourself – does this help me fulfill my mission?
Here are some other times to reference your mission statement:
- When you’re planning your business or projects for the year.
- At the start of every week when deciding what tasks to focus on.
- Throughout the day to make sure you’re living your purpose and not wasting energy in the wrong places.
What Matters Most
The purpose of this exercise is to understand what’s important to you. For this to happen you must be honest with yourself. Your answers might surprise you.
By way of example, here are my answers to the questions in step one.
- Who are you?
Mom. Wife. Learner. Reader. Writer. Creator. Problem solver. Teacher.
- What do you do or want to do?
Learn. Read. Write. Teach. Explore new ideas.
- How do you help people or want to help people?
I help people be themselves and live a better life.
- What do you create?
Books. Emails. Blog Posts. Ideas. Programs.
- What is unique about you?
I teach both strategy and mindset. My writing is to-the-point and fluff-free. I provide practical tools as well as inspiration. I make complex ideas simple. I seek the truth.
- What are you passionate about?
Learning. Reading. Writing. Understanding human psychology. Living a fulfilled life. Exploring new ideas. Finding and speaking the truth.
- How do you want other people to see you?
Smart, insightful, caring, real, interested.
- What do you want to accomplish in the next five years?
I want to sell a million books.
My Personal Mission Statement
When I reviewed my answers to the questions, some common themes jumped out. For example: writing, thinking, teaching, books, learning, exploring ideas, helping people live a better life.
I also noticed some things that were missing. Most notably: making money and coaching.
These insights surprised me. My first eight books are about making money from home. And a significant part of my business is coaching groups and individuals.
I love these two things. Yet, they aren’t part of my greater purpose.
More than coaching or making money, I’m a writer who explores ideas and human problems. I want to share my discoveries through books.
My deepest desire is to delve into concepts and teach others through my writing. Spending time in other areas that interest me – but to a lesser extent –distracts me from my main work.
With these insights in mind, I created my new personal mission statement:
To sell one million books that help people live a better life.
When I wrote this statement, I felt inspired. I was filled with excitement and determination. I was committed to bringing my mission to life.
Write Your Personal Mission Statement
Now it’s your turn. What do you want to do with your life?
Answer the questions in step one. Then create your personal mission statement. And start living your purpose.
One final note – please don’t stress about making this perfect. Most of us don’t have a single purpose that we suddenly stumble upon.
Instead, look to bring more joy and meaning to your life. Without the pressure of constantly striving for more or chasing after the wrong things.
