Mission Possible

Corporations know that a focused mission statement is essential to success - and now people are catching on. A personal mission statement can help you pinpoint what's important in your life and serve as a kind of compass to guide your decisions. Most people find they learn a lot about themselves during the process of developing a mission statement, and often make realizations that certain areas in their life are being neglected. And, besides, making your mission statement can be fun! So get out a pen and paper and ask yourself the following questions:

Try these exercises to help you come up with the answers:

Once you have answered the questions to the best of your ability, use them to build your own mission statement. (Which can be, by the way, anywhere from one sentence to a page long.) It should include expressions of: how you wish to live, what you wish to accomplish and contribute, and who you want to be (the character strengths and qualities you wish to develop). You can write it on some fancy paper, include some applicable quotations and either keep it somewhere private or post it where you can be reminded daily. The most important thing is that you actually take action towards satisfying your "mission". Actions speak louder than words, right?

by T.L. Scribe