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A written mission statement summarises what matters to you most

• The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.  Stephen Covey
• From the perspective of your entire life, what is it that you most care about and what gives meaning to your life? What do you want to be and do in your life? A written mission statement encapsulates what you want to become and achieve.  Stephen Covey
• A mission statement provides a way to connect with your own unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes in fulfilling it. Stephen Covey
• On an individual basis, an equivalent personal statement of purpose would represent the highest criterion for direction and meaning. “I exist as a human being to… ” David Allen
• Your personal mission statement should be a concise representation of what’s most important to you, what you desire to focus on, what you want to achieve, and, ultimately, who you want to become. In its purest form, it’s an approach to your life, one that allows you to identify a focus of energy, creativity, and vision in living a life in support of your inner- most beliefs and values. Also remember that your mission will change over time as you and your life change. David B. Bohl
• A personal purpose statement defines who you are. It reflects your passions and values. It provides clarity as you set goals. Your sense of purpose steers how you want your story to go. Dr Julie Connor
• Life is a journey. And your mission statement is your map.
• When we embrace the things that make us unique, our true and remarkable capabilities are revealed. Amy Purdy
• A personal mission statement is your chance to articulate your values, who you are, and how you define success. You can use a personal mission statement to guide your decisions. Caroline Forsey
• A personal mission statement is a declaration of an individual’s purpose and path in life, emphasizing what is truly important to him or her. It lays out your core values, your expectations, your pledge to other people, and your measurement of success. S.J. Scott
• Meaning,  Purpose,  Vision,  Values,  Principles,  Clarity

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• A mission statement holds the key to producing quality-of-life enhancing results and generating a genuine and deep passion for life. Stephen Covey
• A good mission statement is the key that effective people use to discern which things are important—which things are really worth acting upon. Stephen Covey
• A personal mission statement becomes the DNA for every other decision we make. Stephen Covey
• To come to be you must have a vision of Being, a Dream, a Purpose, a Principle. You will become what your vision is. Peter Nivio Zarlenga
• Writing or reviewing a mission statement changes you because it forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behavior with your beliefs. James Allworth
• Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. Rumi

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Here are some recommended features of a personal mission statement

• Keep in mind that a Personal Mission Statement is, well, personal. There is no set length or style. It can be a poem, a few sentences, a few pages, or even a song. Stephen Covey
• An effective mission statement: Is an expression of your own unique capacities. Inspires you rather than impresses anyone else. Is based on true principles which produce quality-of-life. Includes the physical, social, mental & spiritual areas. Deals with what you want to be and do with your life. Balances all the significant roles of your life. Stephen Covey
• A good personal mission statement should be highly motivational and inspiring. It should empower you to go onwards and upwards. It is never a static statement, but should be refined and enhanced as life moves forward. Stephen Covey
• Here are five general guidelines for writing your manifesto: Make it uplifting.  Use strong language (don’t be wishy- washy). It can be as short or as long as you like (but don’t make it so long that you can’t read it every day).  Write it in the present tense. Keep it positive.  Marelisa Fabrega
• An empowering mission statement is the fulfilment of your own unique gifts. It’s the expression of your unique capacity to contribute.  Stephen Covey
• An empowering mission statement deals with both character and competence; what you want to be and what you want to do in your life. Stephen Covey
• An empowering mission statement deals with all the significant roles in your life. It represents a lifetime balance of personal, family, work, community – whatever roles you feel are yours to fill.  Stephen Covey
• If your mission holds no personal passion, it is not your path. Laurie Beth Jones

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An effective personal mission statement should feel inspiring

• If what you write feels flat and unexciting, you’re on the wrong track. If the words overwhelm you with emotion and excitement, you’re onto something! Stephen Covey
• When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it. W. Clement Stone
• Choose Words that Reflect Positive Action: Instead of stating what you want to avoid, choose words that are positive and reflect what you want to be, do, and experience. Dr Julie Connor
• Inspiration,  Motivation

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Write in Present Tense

• You purpose statement is a reflection of who you are and what you bring to the world – beginning today. Focus your intention on what you envision for your life. Describe the personal mark you want to make on this planet. State it in present tense (“I am,” “I do;” not “I will.”). Dr Julie Connor

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In order to develop a mission statement, you need to first reflect deeply on what is important to you

• Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Carl Jung
• A leader will find it difficult to articulate a coherent vision unless it expresses his core values, his basic identity…one must first embark on the formidable journey of self-discovery in order to create a vision with authentic soul. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Reflection,  Contemplation

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Stephen Covey has some recommended steps for developing a personal mission statement

• Write about each of the three topics below without stopping. This is free-writing, so don’t worry about spelling, punctuation.
• Identify an influential person. Identify one person who had a positive influence on your life. What are the qualities you most admire in this person? What qualities did you gain from this person?
• Define who you want to become. Imagine it’s twenty years in the future. You have achieved all you ever hoped to achieve. What is your list of accomplishments? What do you want to have, do, and be?
• Determine what is important to you today. What are the ten things that are most rewarding to you today? What do you live for and love in life?
• Review what you’ve written and circle the key ideas, words, and phrases that you would like to include in your mission statement.
• Write a rough draft of your mission statement
• During the week, carry your rough draft with you and make notes, additions, and deletions as needed each day.
• At the end of the week, write a final copy of your mission statement and find a permanent place for it where you can easily access it.

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Project your life forward

• Visualize your 86th birthday. Your friends and loved ones are around you. One by one they each stand and give a personal tribute to you. These individuals represent the roles you now fulfil in life (i.e. husband, parent, friend, job role, community service). Assume that you have fulfilled these roles to the utmost of your potential. What would each person say?  What difference have you made in their life?  What qualities or characteristics will you be remembered for?  What outstanding contribution of yours would they mention?  Tina Su
• Visualisation

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• Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day: I shall not fear anyone on Earth. I shall fear only God. I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering. Mahatma Gandhi
• My mission is not merely to survive but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style. Maya Angelou
• At the end, this life will have been a journey of perseverance; a century, I hope, of opening to truth and love. I will have cultivated a generous heart, I will have never lost the spirit of fun, I will have loved well, and set an example of love, truth, generosity, beauty, laughter and kindness. I will live and die at peace, confident that I did my very best. Leah Pearlman
• But warm, eager, living life–to be rooted in life–to learn, to desire to know, to feel, to think, to act. That is what I want. And nothing less. That is what I must try for. Katherine Mansfield
• Every day I expand in creativity, love, kindness, generosity and abundance as I inspire those around me to do the same. Gay Hendricks
• I love being alive and will be the best man I possibly can. I will take love wherever I find it and offer it to everyone who will take it. I will seek knowledge from those wiser and teach those who wish to learn from me. Duane Allman
• I promise myself…to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind; to talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet; to make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them; to look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true; to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best; to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own; to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future; to wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet; to give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others; to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble; to think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds; to live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me. Christian D. Larson
• I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion–and where it isn’t, that’s where my work lies. Ram Dass
• 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
• The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give. William Arthur Ward
• To awaken each morning with a smile brightening my face; to greet the day with reverence for the opportunities it contains; to approach my work with a clean mind; to hold ever before me, even in the doing of little things, the ultimate purpose toward which I am working; to meet men and women with laughter on my lips and love in my heart; to be gentle, kind, and courteous through all the hours; to approach the night with weariness that ever woos sleep and the joy that comes from work well done – this is how I desire to waste wisely my days. Thomas Dekker
• To cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. The Dalai Lama
• With arms outstretched I thank. With heart beating gratefully I love. With body in health I jump for joy. With spirit full I live.   Terri Guillemets
• I hope that my achievements in life shall be these — that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I will have left the earth a better place for what I’ve done and who I’ve been. C. Hoppe
• I want to put a dent in the universe. Jobs, Steve
• To use my gifts of intelligence, charisma, and serial optimism to cultivate the self-worth and net-worth of women around the world. Amanda Steinberg
• Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can. The Dalai Lama
• I want to serve the people. And I want every girl, every child to be educated.  Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Prize laureate and activist
• To live consciously and with great intention; To ambitiously and passionately pursue personal growth; To break through barriers in search of truth and freedom; To embrace challenges with patience and wisdom; To share faith, give hope, and spread love; To positively influence and inspire others; To joyfully and courageously explore my limitless potential; and To love radically, serve sacrificially, and give extravagantly. Jeff Sanders
• I want to be remembered as a great friend, an outstanding father, an amazing husband, and a good soul who always strived to serve God and man. And during that time of service on earth, I would like people to think, “He brought joy, love, opportunity, and fulfilment to millions of people.” Tony Robbins
• To use my gifts of intelligence, charisma, and serial optimism to cultivate the self-worth and net-worth of women around the world.  Amanda Steinberg
• To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be. Oprah Winfrey
• The focus of my life begins at home with family, loved ones and friends. I want to use my resources to create a secure environment that fosters love, learning, laughter and mutual success. I will protect and value integrity. I will admit and quickly correct my mistakes. I will be a self-starter. I will be a caring person. I will be a good listener with an open mind. I will continue to grow and learn. I will facilitate and celebrate the success of others. Merlin Olsen
• I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. Jack London
• If something is important enough you should try, even if the probable outcome is failure. Elon Musk

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Share your mission statement

• A personal mission statement is, of course, personal. But if you want to truly see whether you have been honest in developing your personal mission statement, I suggest sharing the results of the process with one or more people who are close to you. Ask for their feedback. And develop further from there, if necessary. Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

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Read your mission statement often

• Frame or display your personal purpose statement in a place where you will see it. The daily reminder of seeing, reading, reflecting upon, and internalizing your personal purpose statement becomes a directional compass that will guide your words, actions, decisions, and behaviors. A personal purpose statement steers your talent, determination, and commitment into a specific direction. Dr Julie Connor

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Decide on three goals relating to your mission statement

• Goals are what give your mission statement momentum. They create a plan of action and help measure whether or not you are successfully living your mission statement. Stephen Covey
• Review your mission statement. Create three long-term goals that support your mission. Stephen Covey
• If you don’t set your goals based upon your Mission Statement, you may be climbing the ladder of success only to realize, when you get to the top, you’re on the wrong building. Stephen Covey
• Roles and goals give structure and organized direction to your personal mission. If you don’t yet have a personal mission statement, it’s a good place to begin. Stephen Covey
• Goal setting

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To help realise your goals, ask “What? Why? How? When?”

• What? Specify what your goal is precisely.
• Why? Try to articulate why a particular goal will serve what you believe in. Why do you wish to see this goal fulfilled? Asking yourself “why” brings clarity to your goals.
• How? When you have tackled what and why, the next step is “how.” How will you know when you have arrived? How will you get there? How are you going to get it done? How will you empower yourself to achieve your goal? Taking the time to visualize and feel the “how” helps you see some of the necessary steps to take in order to achieve your goal.
• When? Why can’t your dreams have deadlines? What if you took your goals as seriously as, let’s say, a project at work or a job for a client? Aren’t your aspirations just as important, if not more important?

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Identify and prioritise the actions needed to reach your goal

• Are there many steps involved with this goal, or does it require a few major milestones? Start brainstorming all the steps involved. What is it going to take to get you from here to there?
• Take a look at the steps in your list and prioritize them to the best of your ability. Which things must come before others? Which ones can wait until farther down the road?
• Move ahead each day with the vision of your goal in mind and keep pressing forward.
• Action,  Action plans

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Periodically review, evaluate and adjust your mission statement

• Every month or so ask yourself the following questions: Do I feel that this mission statement represents the best within me? Do I feel direction, purpose, challenge, and motivation when I review my mission statement? Am I living my life according to the ideals and values that are incorporated in my mission statement? Stephen Covey
• Your Mission Statement isn’t permanent. As your priorities and tastes change, and as new opportunities present themselves, your mission will adapt and grow. J.D. Roth
• Remember that a mission statement is not meant to be written once and blasted into stone. You should set aside some time annually to review your career, job, goals, and mission statement — and make adjustments as necessary. Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
• Your personal mission statement is not a certificate of accomplishment to be put into the drawer. It is supposed to be your lens, starting point, the source of focus. Use it. Michal Stawicki

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• I only read nautical novels and my own personal manifestos. Ron Swanson
• I want to be the kind of person my dog already thinks I am.