A personal mission statement is more than just a collection of words; it’s a declaration of who you are and what you aspire to become. Stephen Covey describes it as your “personal constitution,” a solid expression of your vision and values that serves as a foundation for all your decisions and actions. “It forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behavior with your beliefs.”
Why Write a Mission Statement?
Covey emphasizes that writing a mission statement requires deep introspection and thoughtful analysis. It’s not something you rush to complete but an evolving document that reflects your core values and the unique contributions you want to make in life. By going through this process, you begin to realign your paradigms with timeless principles, creating a clear lens through which you see the world. Covey states, “When people seriously undertake to identify what really matters most to them in their lives, what they really want to be and to do, they become very reverent. They start to think in larger terms than today and tomorrow.”
How to Begin
- Identify Your Roles:
Think about the key roles you play in your life — as a parent, spouse, friend, professional, or community member.
- Set Long-Term Goals:
For each role, identify the results you want to achieve. These goals should be results-oriented and in harmony with correct principles. “Roles and goals give structure and organized direction to your personal mission.”
- Use Affirmations and Visualization:
A powerful affirmation is personal, positive, present tense, visual, and emotional. Use these affirmations to program your mind toward your desired outcomes.
Making It a Living Document
Your mission statement is not a one-time task; it’s an ongoing commitment. Regularly review and revise it as you gain new insights and face changing circumstances. As Covey says, “Personal leadership is not a singular experience. It doesn’t begin and end with the writing of a personal mission statement. It is, rather, the ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things.”
Aligning Your Life with Your Mission
Covey stresses the importance of living proactively within your Circle of Influence. This means focusing on what you can control and aligning your actions with your values and vision, rather than being reactive to external circumstances. He says, “To seek some abstract meaning to our lives out in our Circle of Concern is to abdicate our proactive responsibility.”
When your mission statement is grounded in correct principles, it becomes a powerful tool for navigating life’s challenges and opportunities with clarity and purpose. Join us on February 3rd as we finish our coverage of Habit 2, covering pages 152-166. If you haven’t already, make sure you take the time to craft your own personal mission statement before continuing your reading!
Reflection Questions:
- What roles do you currently play in your life, and which ones feel most meaningful to you?
- If you could summarize your core values in a single sentence, what would it say?
- What long-term goals could help you align your life with your values and vision?
- How do you currently balance the various roles you play in life?
- Have you ever experienced a moment that made you reassess your priorities? How did it change you?
