What is my purpose on this earth?
Is that a question you’re asking yourself right now, at this point in your life?
Most people have no idea how to answer that question, because they’ve never considered it. That’s unfortunate. Companies have mission statements, and you should consider creating one for your own life. How can you make the best plans and decisions for yourself without a mission statement?
Writing a mission statement has three big benefits. It forces you to think about what your purpose in life is – what you’re here on the planet for. It also gives your life direction and importantly something you can use to measure yourself by. To be honest, there’s no reason not to create a mission statement for your life.
Create a mission statement and give the rest of your life direction and purpose with these strategies:
- Figure out the person you want to be. Imagine the person you would be really proud to be. What characteristics does that person have? Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and assume that you can be anything you set your sights on. Who would you choose to be? What qualities do you intend to stand for?
- Consider your heroes. Who do you look up to? Why? The people you most admire can leave clues about what is most important and impressive to you. Whose life would you most like to live? It can even be someone from the past. Who did you admire when you were a child? It might even be a relative or neighbor, maybe a teacher – or perhaps someone famous.
- Look online for some examples that can inspire you. There are several CEOs and other famous people that have posted their mission statements for the world to see. Check out a few and see if anything appeals to you. This Forbes article might help: 13 CEO’s Mission Statements (I have to be honest, some of them are a bit vague, but they might give you some ideas at least).
- Imagine looking back on your life. Picture yourself on your deathbed. What would you like to see when you look back on your life? What legacy do you want to leave behind? Having regret at this stage in your life would be a tragic thing – most people regret the things they didn’t do more than the ones they did! You can prevent that by considering this circumstance today, and figure out how you’re going to make sense of the rest of your life.
Or if the whole deathbed thing is a bit negative for you, imagine the introduction they’ll be giving you as you step up to receive your Person Of The Year award on your 80th birthday.
- Write your mission statement. You have enough information now to write your mission statement. Try limiting yourself to a single paragraph and hone in on the essential elements. Describe the mission for your life. Don’t worry, there’s no need to feel tied down to whatever you write now. This is setting the direction, but you’re in control. You can always make adjustments in the future.
- Set appropriate goals. Now that you have a general direction for your life, set some goals that support your mission statement. What can you do today to begin living the life you desire? What kind of goals would the person you describe in the first step be following?
- Get busy. This can be the challenging part. Many of us like imagining and planning, but balk when it’s time to actually take action. Avoid allowing this step to halt your progress. Remember, you’re more likely to regret something you didn’t take the courage to act upon, then something you gave your best shot. As one of my favourite songwriters puts it, ask yourself: “What would you do this year if I had no fear?”
A mission statement forces you to take a good long look at your interests, values, and priorities. You also consider the legacy you are going to leave behind from the rest of your life. If you want the best possible chance of living an amazing life, a mission statement is crucial.
Set aside a little time to complete this important exercise. You’re bound to learn things about yourself you never knew (or maybe you’d forgotten) and to re-energize your passion for living.
Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash.
.
[widget id=”custom_html-12″ title=”0″]