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“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Maya Angelou, celebrated poet and memoirist, articulated her mission in a way that aligned with her goals, values and purpose. Her work itself speaks of her mission to thrive with passion, compassion and humor. She has left a legacy for generations to come with her words.
Each one of us aspires to leave a legacy, something worthwhile for future generations. Finding value and meaning in our work is what pushes us to get up in the morning, no matter how hard it seems. So, how do you put your mission, values and beliefs into words? You can do so with a personal mission statement.
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What Is A Personal Mission Statement?
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How To Write A Personal Mission Statement
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Examples Of A Personal Mission Statement
What Is A Personal Mission Statement?
A personal mission statement defines who you are, your aspirations and how you see yourself. It’s a gentle reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing. For instance, as kids, we may have had a personal mission to either become astronauts, a celebrated novelist or a dancer, or an architect. We scribbled on notebooks and recited our mission to ourselves.
How you define success forms the heart of your personal mission statement. Whether you want to achieve your goals, be happy or create change to help those in need. It helps to center you if you waver or forget why you started something. If you ever feel like you’re lost, you can revisit your personal mission statement to reacquaint yourself.
How To Write A Personal Mission Statement
Think of all the times you wanted to change the world and how you planned to do it. Something you’re really passionate about or you’re willing to put in the work for can be a starting point for your personal mission statement.
Here’s how to write a personal mission statement:
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Think of all the things you wanted to do as a child and make a list of the ones that are important to you. This can be something you feel strongly about like volunteer work or something you’re good at like art.
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Separate personal goals from professional goals and create a career plan. This will help you set goals to advance in your career and also become a better professional.
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Ask yourself who you want to help and why with your skills and abilities. For instance, if you’re a good writer, how can you bring change? Maybe you want to become a journalist or start your own blog to share stories. Discover ways to make your dream a reality.
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Write down everything that comes to mind before you worry about the technical aspects.
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Finally, proofread your personal mission statement to make it succinct, clear and impactful.
Writing an impactful mission statement will help you throughout your career. You can come back to it whenever you want. Let’s explore examples of a personal mission statement to give you an idea of how to write your own.
Examples Of A Personal Mission Statement
Whether you’re starting a new job, establishing your business or venturing out as a freelancer, you must have a reason to choose a career path. Your “why” is what defines what you do and how you do it. Once you identify this “why”, it’ll be a breeze to write a compelling personal mission statement.
Let’s explore some examples of personal mission statements for career aspirations.
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“I aspire to build a community, using my ability to connect with others, where people always have a comfortable and safe space to be themselves.”
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“I want to bring joy to people’s lives with my unique take on cooking and baking to infuse flavor into their lives.”
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“I will become a leader who listens, understands and supports others in their goals, aspirations and dreams.”
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“I want to educate and teach children by using my communication skills and learner-centered approach to inspire them to achieve their goals.”
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“I want to support new and innovative ideas to give people a platform to bring their vision to life.”
These are examples of personal mission statements for career aspirations. But you can even write personal mission statements for yourself, such as:
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“I want to be a kind and compassionate friend, offer support to my parents and be there for my siblings.”
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“I want to inspire change in all my conversations.”
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“I want to learn and grow as an individual, develop skills and acquire new hobbies.”
How you write your personal mission statement is entirely up to you. You can build the skills needed to refine your writing. Not only will this help you write something meaningful but also inspiring. Harappa’s Writing Proficiently course will teach you how to write with impact. You can learn how to structure your writing using the Pyramid Principle and the GRT (Goal-Recipient-Tone) framework. Practice your writing and equip yourself with the tools to craft compelling messages that inspire and motivate others.
Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as All About Purpose Statements, Examples Of Purpose Statements, the Difference Between Vission And Mission Statements and Writing A Personal Mission Statement to achieve your goals.
