Want to become a better person? Then finding your values of the person you want to 'be' is a great place to start. Mission time.
Welcome back to the blog! We're diving into something a little different from the programming and training side of things. However, this information may prove to be more useful than your usual training hit. Let's dive in.
What is a mission statement?
A mission statement is something that is typically used by a company or organisation that follows a set of action-based statements that declares the purpose/values in serving their customers. It is essentially the 'why', 'who' and 'what' of the organisation.
However, a mission statement can be used for more than just companies or organisations. They can be used to identify our own individual values and purpose too.
"A mission statement creates action-based statements in how we want to live our life. It provides us with a short summary of values and principles that we want to live by."
Creating a mission statement
There is no right or wrong way to write a mission statement and can be personalised in anyway you feel is right for you. The goal of a mission statement is essentially to identify your core values and principles of your life, and how you want to live that life. It is almost like a small rule book that you can reflect, change, add or subtract to depending on where you are in your life.
When you can effectively identify the values of your life, or those values that you wish to take on in your life, it becomes significantly easier to live by them. At the end of the day, we all want to become better individuals, for the people around us and more importantly, ourselves (If you don't want to become a better person then I don't know what to say to that).
A mission statement isn't hard to make. There isn't a specific way to go about it or certain rules you need to follow per se. It is unique and completely individualised to you. You can make it as long or as short as you like. You can make it detailed or short and sweet. Ultimately, the goal is to make a statement that is easy to understand, easy to see or look back on and represents who you are/want to be. Let's make one.
How to make a mission statement
I wrote myself a mission statement for the first time after it was introduced to me through the book '7 habits of highly effective people' by Stephen R. Covey. Continuously having these goals to create habits/values that made me a better person intrigued me into trying this so-called mission statement. Since I have written it, I have made changes to it. I have taken taken away some values and added some as my life goes on. The goal of my mission statement was directed at two main questions I always asked myself in life.
'When you die, who do you want to be remembered as?'
'How do you want people to remember you?'
Based off these questions, I wrote my first mission statement in life. This is what it looks like as of today, writing this Blog.
my mission statement
- 'Spend more time with things that won't be around forever.'
- 'Listen twice as much as you speak.'
- 'Do what you say you are going to do.'
- 'Judge yourself before you judge others.'
- 'Do one new things every year. Always up-skill.'
- 'Do not trade character for short term satisfaction.'
- 'You cannot win an argument.'
- 'Exercise is freedom, not a chore.'
- 'Always tell the truth, or at least don't lie.'
- '$100 million in the bank, how do you live your life?'
- 'You cannot give a fuck about everything. Find what is worth giving a fuck about.'
- 'You will be dead soon.'
- 'Do nice things, and don't tell anybody about it.'
These values have come from different books, different perspectives and different lessons over my lifetime so far. I have these written on a whiteboard in my room that I see everyday and try to check in with as much as I can to see if I'm living to the values of the person I want to be.
These values aren't something that can really be achieved, or necessarily ticked off. They are a guidance system for me to always remember when I feel myself slipping away from the value system I want to have. A mission statement isn't set up like a goals list. There isn't necessarily an end outcome or a box that you can tick off. It is used to create a way of living. When I read my mission statement, it reminds me of the person I want to 'be', not what I want to 'achieve'.
"Think of a mission statement like your actions as a person without the words to tell someone. Would your character line up to your actions? Would it line up to your mission statement?"
Final words
When I think of my mission statement, I imagine people being at my funeral and remembering the type of person I want. It sounds gruesome, but it will happen someday (Im not being pessimistic, that is a fact). If individuals were speaking of me that aligned exactly with my mission statement, then I know I lived true to my values as an individual.
A mission statement represents the actions of an individuals character without the words to say who they are. It is a way of consistently improving your life and values of the person you want to become. A mission statement can be used for anything; Personal life, financial, Physical health and fitness, Relationships, anything. Whatever you value, you can write down.
Figure out the type of person you want to be, and write it down. The best way to be the person you want to be, is to become it. You become it by being reminded of it and acting on it.
What will your mission statement look like?
Proof of my mission statement
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