Five Reasons Why You Need a Personal Mission Statement

Many of the most successful companies have corporate mission statements -- words that describe what the company is all about, including topics such as corporate responsibility, strategic focus, customer value, and treatment of employees. Corporate mission statements describe what the business is all about, and acts as an invisible hand that guides all the people within the organization. A mission statement explains the origination's reason for being and answers the question, "What business are we in?"

A personal mission statement is a bit different than a corporate one, but the principle is the same: your goal is to answer the questions of: "Who am I?" ... "What is my purpose/passion in life?" ... "What are my core values?" ... "How do I define success?"

Two motivational speakers had this to say about personal mission statements:

• "The power of the personal mission statement lies in your values and in a commitment to that vision, that purpose, and those principle-centered values. They will control your decisions, determine your outlook, and provide the direction for your future." -Steven Covey

• "Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission." -Zig Ziglar

Still not sure whether you need a personal mission statement? Check out these five reasons.

Five Reasons to Have a Personal Mission Statement

1. Know Yourself Better. Crafting a personal mission statement is a tool of self-discovery. Have you made some decisions in your past that you now wonder how you ever did what you did? Taking the time to examine your core beliefs and values is a wonderful tool to learn more about yourself -- what key elements drive and compel you to action, how you define success, and so much more.

2. Provide Direction for Present, Future. Once you develop your personal mission, it becomes a core tool for all current and future decision-making. You will no longer have to spend countless hours debating the worthiness of a decision or choice. Your mission will guide you.

3. Make Better Career Decisions. Regardless of your age or profession, many of us struggle in the wrong job, or work for the wrong employer. Our jobs and careers are supposed to fulfill us, provide a sense of personal satisfaction, but if we are not following our true passion, our calling, then our jobs will always simply be a job; a means of income rather than something more. The same holds true with your choice of employer -- to be truly happy (and successful), you need to work at an organization with values that match yours.

4. Strengthen Relationships. Crafting your personal mission statement will not only help enlighten yourself, but can be an amazing tool to share with loved ones to help them better know you -- to understand your goals, values, and definition of success. It's amazing the depth of conversation you can have with a spouse or friend when you share your mission, and this reason alone is why you should write your personal mission statement.

5. Hold You Accountable for All Choices. Without a personal mission statement, you can pass off blame for making poor decisions by blaming others -- for putting you in a certain situation or for influencing your choices. Once you have a mission statement, it becomes your guiding force and makes you look hard at all your major decisions... and places the choice and outcome squarely on your shoulders.

Final Thoughts on Personal Mission Statements

Once you create your personal mission statement, use it to guide and live your life. Do so by keeping a copy of it with you always -- on your computer and phone; in your car, bathroom -- all the places you can see it daily.

Finally, while your mission statement should be front and center in all your critical decisions, remember that as you evolve, you may need to revisit and revise your mission statement.

How do you get started writing your personal mission statement? Read my article, Five Easy Steps to Creating a Personal Mission Statement -- and/or answer these questions:

• What am I passionate about?

• What activities do I most enjoy?

• What do I want to accomplish in life?

• What would I do if money was not an issue?

• What are my key strengths?

• What are my core values?

Personal Mission Statement Examples

My personal mission statement: To live life fully, honestly, and compassionately; love passionately; and make a positive impact on all those around me.

Oprah Winfrey's mission statement: To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be. Read more.