How to Write a Personal Vision & Mission Statement

A personal vision and mission statement is something which should remind a person of her unique purpose.

Writing a personal vision and mission statement is a process that requires a lot of thought. A vision and mission statement should be general enough that it encompasses all aspects but specific enough that real world actions can be taken from it. A personal vision and mission statement is much like a code of ethics and conduct infused with personal goals that govern thoughts, beliefs and actions.

Instructions

Research

1. Conduct research. Before writing a personal vision and mission statement can begin a person must engage in introspection and self examination to determine what values and personal truths stand out. These values will be at the core of the vision and mission statements.

2. Find goals. Goals must be holistic and continuing. For example a goal of "obtaining a million dollars" is finite and limiting. A better way to word such a goal is, "Increase personal wealth to maintain financial independence."

3. Write a personal vision statement. A vision statement contains the author's vision for a perfect future, her "vision" of what the world (her world) will be like. A vision statement should be written in such a way that it emphasizes the end result.
   For example if a goal is eliminating world hunger then the vision statement would read "...create a world where every person has a steady food supply." Write the vision statement in the positive, for example rather than saying "avoid getting fired" use wording like "maintain job security."

4. Write a personal mission statement. The mission statement is the plan of how the vision statement will be achieved. For example if the vision was "...create a world where every person has a steady food supply." Then an appropriate mission statement might be "I achieve this vision by spending at least five hours a week working with aid organizations." A mission statement should be action oriented and provide a plan of action for how to get from the present moment to the future vision.

5. Create one vision and mission statement or many. Some people prefer to have different statements for different areas of their life--for their business, role as a father, career or charity work. These can all be combined into one statement or divided into separate shorter statements depending on preference. There is no defined length for a vision and mission statement.

References

• Best of Time Management: What's Your Personal Vision Statement?
• Quintessential Careers: Career Vision Statements for Career Planning
• Stephen Covey: The Community

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish