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Writing Your Personal Mission Statement
by Ariana Ayu, DSc, RN
October 2009

This month, I’d like to talk a bit about mental health. We all have times in our lives when we feel unhappy, frustrated, angry, and a multitude of other emotions we deem negative or at the very least, unpleasant. One technique I find useful is having/writing a personal mission statement. Most businesses have mission statements, and they use them to inform their employees and customers what their goal is. These show what the company does, who the company serves, and what the client should expect.

A personal mission statement is something we can use to guide our decisions and define what we want our lives to be. It is a standard we are willing to hold ourselves accountable to.

So once you’ve bought into the idea of writing a mission statement, what should it look like? It should be one memorized sentence that is easily understood. If it is truly going to guide your life, you need to be able to call it to mind even during times of stress so you can reflect upon whether your decisions are aligned with your mission. Keep in mind, your personal mission is not your job (though you can create a professional mission statement for your career), it is who you are and who you strive to be in all realms of your life.

There are three basic parts to your mission statement: Values, Actions, and Recipients. We’ll take these step-by-step, using the example of Jane: a mother and professional musician.

To create your mission statement, first determine your most important values. These should be principles you feel passionate about and ones that inspire you to be the greatest version of yourself. Jane brainstorms, and decides her guiding values are love, harmony, music, creativity, and dedication.

Next, choose three verbs to create the action of your mission statement. The verbs tell what you will do or be in the world. Jane chooses: play, nurture, and create.

Finally, who are the recipients of your mission? Is it yourself, your friends and family, the earth, animals/plants, and/or the citizens of a specific geographic region or country? Jane decides the people she lives for are her family and audience.

Now that we have the main pieces, it is time to put them into a useful format. A basic format is “My mission is to __(verb)__, __(verb)__, __(verb)__, __(core value/values)__ for/with/to recipients .” Take the parts of your mission and combine them now into the basic format. Once you have the basic structure, you can adjust the format until it feels inspiring and empowering to you. Jane’s first draft is “My mission is to nurture, play, and create harmony and happiness with my family and audience.” Eventually her final version states “My mission is to nurture my family, myself, and my audience by playing beautiful music and creating harmony in our lives.”

Your mission is a statement of purpose that encompasses who you are and who you want to be. When difficult choices arise, your personal mission statement will guide your decisions and help you remain true to yourself. When we remain true to ourselves, we are much less likely to suffer from depression or feel mired in confusion. A personal mission statement is the compass that renews our sense of purpose when our lives seem to be off course, so don’t leave home without it!

Nothing here is meant to replace the advice and guidance of your personal physicians. 
Always consult a medical professional when making decisions about your own body and health.

Copyright © 2009 Spiritual Evolution. 
Last modified: 05/18/10