Personal mission is a very big question: What are you here on Earth to do?
What is Your Personal Mission?
It’s a question most of us ponder at some point in our lives, but it’s one of the most difficult to answer. Surprisingly, many successful leaders do have an answer, and usually there is some alignment between what they are leading and what they perceive as their mission.
When I think of a personal mission, I think of action:
- I am here TO DO something.
- I am here TO ACT on the environment
A personal mission is usually so big, it’s rarely finished. It’s not necessarily a goal to be achieved, but more like a lifelong journey with an ending off in the distant future. It also isn’t something you invent. More than likely, it’s something that springs from deep inside, something you’ve been doing or an inclination you’ve had all along.
My personal mission is to make the world a better place by helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential. That sounds vague and immeasurable. Yet, for as long as I can remember, this is what I have been about. It was my mission even before I could conceptualize the notion of a personal mission.
When there was racial tension in the high school I attended, I organized other students and we put together a student relations council to talk about and deal with the problems. That ability to bring people of different backgrounds together is something to which I’ve been dedicated my whole life. I’m not sure where it came from, but it has always been part of my mission.
As you get ready to draft your personal mission statement, ask yourself:
- What are the things that have driven me since I was a young adult?
- What actions have I taken to further my mission?
- How do I want to be remembered?
- How do I want people to describe me?
- What is success in my life?
I invite you to write or update your own personal mission statement. If you want to send it to me, I would be delighted to provide feedback. Or maybe send it to someone you trust for their feedback.