If you’ve ever been hired by a large company (or certain small ones) you’re probably familiar with a mission statement. It is designed to be the ground zero upon which the entire company is built. I believe if more people followed the lead of companies and created their own inspirational mission statement, difficult decisions and the direction of their lives might be easier to handle.

Different kinds of mission statements.

Some are straight-forward like the one American Express has adopted:

“We work hard every day to make American Express

the world’s most respected service brand.”

Others are wider reaching, addressing their place in the world, such as the one for Patagonia clothing:

“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire, and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

Still, others are a bit more esoteric, like the one for the digital product design platform InvisionApp:

• “Question Assumptions. Think Deeply. Iterate a Lifestyle. Details, Details.

• "Design is Everywhere. Integrity.”

While you don’t have to worry about a customer’s experience with you, there are a lot of similar qualities between a personal mission statement and a company one. Both offer the opportunity to establish what’s important to you and the individual code by which you want to live your life.

You could write books sharing your opinions and values on important topics like respect, courtesy, love, forgiveness, etc., but a mission statement needs to be a concise statement you can refer to that will guide your opinions and values in all situations.

How to Develop a Mission Statement

When it comes to personal mission statements, I have two favorite quotes. The first is from author Steven Covey, who made a lot of money with his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

The quote I like from Covey comes from his book, First Things First, where he says:

“A mission statement is about connecting with your own unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes with fulfilling it.”

My second favorite quote is by Michael Goodman, who writes books about marketing strategy. He said that a personal mission statement is “an articulation of what you’re all about and what success looks like to you.”

So, how do you develop this important statement? There’s a simple three-point process which should help you identify the one that best fits for you.

The Three-Point Process

1. Recognize Past Successes.

When have you been at your best? When did you tackle a difficult project and exceed expectations? When have you shown the naysayers they were wrong about you, but accomplished something you weren’t sure yourself you could do? When did you accomplish something you weren’t sure was possible? When did you take the lead while others followed? You should be able to write down at least five instances of success in your life.

2. Identify Your Important Traits.

There may be things you think you should put on your personality traits list in case someone else sees it but think about this: what do you bring to the table? Are you Positive? Outgoing? Quick-Thinking? Serious? Spiritual? Carefree? Try to come up with ten words to describe the most important traits that help define who you are.

3. Figure Out a Few Goals.

Make a list, a handful of things, that you hope to achieve in your life. Would you like to own your own business? Travel the world? Try to be the best parent possible? Identify both your short-term and long-term goals.

Now, take a look at what you’ve written. If you’re like most people who answered this honestly, you’ll see a few patterns emerge. Try to group some of your successes with some of your goals. Include the traits you wrote down that were necessary, and you will start to see what’s important and what makes you feel fulfilled.

Here are some basic examples I came up with.

• “I want to live a life of creativity, never held back by others, where I find solutions to problems facing the less fortunate.”

• “Question Authority. Live Life on My Terms. Never Give Up.”

• “Remember that the people around you love you and will always be there for you as you will be for them.”

I’m sure you noticed the quotes I included earlier in this blog came from experts. Don’t fret if you have a little trouble establishing your mission statement. If you’ve ever considered hiring a personal coach, helping you develop your mission statement is one of the first things they should do.

• Ultimately, your personal mission statement is the driving force behind all that you wish to accomplish, both personally and professionally.

Many people bumble through life without a clear aim or purpose. While you don’t need to know what you’ll be doing ten years from now, it’s good to have at least a documented statement to serve as the outline of your plan.

Good luck!