How to Plan with Purpose Have a Mission Statement

Sharing is caring!

You were created for a purpose. So live intentionally. Write a personal mission statement - keep it short and simple, easy to remember and apply.

My dad celebrated his 90th birthday last month.

And it made me wonder, if I should be blessed to celebrate nine decades . . . what would people say about me? Do I live my beliefs and values? Do I live intentionally?

These question inspired me to work on my personal mission statement . . . a brief description of God’s purpose for my life. I want to keep it short and simple. It’s important that it is easy to remember and apply.

Do you have a personal mission statement?

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

You and I know the Bible says God has plans for His people. If He has plans and purposes for us don’t you want to know what they are and live by them? Don’t you want to plan your day based on your values and what you know is really important?

Or have you fallen into a routine where life just kind of happens.

[Tweet “Writing a personal mission statement should help you plan your day based on your priorities.”]

I believe it will help me know where to best invest my time and when to say “no more.”

Help for Writing Your Personal Mission Statement

Grab pen and paper. Relax. Don’t over think your answers. Just start writing…

1. List the things you’re passionate about; things you love to do. e.g. Teaching, writing, business, parenting, etc.

2. List the qualities and values that best define your character. e.g. I am honest, patient, creative, funny, giving, etc.

3. List areas you’d like to improve. e.g. I would like to eat healthy, exercise, spend more time in prayer and Bible study, advance my career, volunteer, etc.

4. Now go over your lists and combine them into one or two purposeful sentences, at the most paragraphs, that define who you are and who you’d like to become.

Try to make it as short as possible so you can remember it easily and start applying it to your daily plans.

Remember you won’t come up with the perfect mission statement overnight. Take your time. Go over it often and tweak it as necessary.

I used the Franklin Covey – Build a Mission Statement – Live with Purpose

You have a purpose in life. You know in your heart what’s most important to you. In fact, your mission and values are expressed every day, by how you live–you just may not realize it.

The program gave me the beginning. When I finished I had something that looked like this:

I am at my best when I get enough rest, eat well, and exercise, and I will try to prevent times when I don’t..

I will enjoy my work by doing things where I can engage with people, do research, and write..

I will find enjoyment in my personal life by spending time with family and friends, reading and writing..

I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts such as teaching and encouraging others. .

I can do anything I set my mind to. I will learn more about blogging, social media, and engaging with my audience . . . and apply them. 

My life’s journey is about loving God and loving others and living in ways so others know my love for Jesus. .

I will be a person of whom my family and friends say “she loved big”. .

My most important future contribution to others will be nurturing and encouraging the people in my life, who knows . . . I may even write another book. .

I will stop procrastinating and start working on consistent exercise and healthy eating. 

I will strive to incorporate the following attributes into my life:

  • laughter and organization
  • determination and caring
  • kindness and love

I will constantly renew myself by focusing on the four dimensions of my life:

  • Work out 3-4 times a week – Physical Health
  • Spend time every day in prayer and Bible reading – Spiritual Health
  • Read at least 1 book every other week – Mental Health 
  • Schedule regular down time – Emotional Health

Come back tomorrow when I’ll share how I narrowed this into something easy to remember and apply. Remember there’s a link party tomorrow too! Come join us.

Do you know what’s most important to you? Are you able to plan your day intentionally based on your gifts, abilities, and values?

We would love to pray for you.
You can leave your prayer requests here

and even take a few minutes to pray over the list left by our friends.

Never Miss an Update

Leave your email address and I’ll send you a short email every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to alert you to each new devotion. Plus you’ll receive a copy of 30 Ways to Bless Your Marriage and Keep the Spark Burning

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi” and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Sharing is caring!

Leave a Reply to Micah Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8 Comments

  1. Really love this. I think one of the most valuable things we can do is take time to reflect on who we are, how we’re designed, and what the function of our design might be.

  2. Yes, Deb, I do know what is most important to me, but I’ve never tried to create a mission statement. Sounds like a wonderful idea for me to work on. Thanks for the inspiration as always!
    Blessings!

  3. Jovella Emm says:

    This is great! I think it’s important for people to have personal mission statements, especially Christians. I believe that we are designed and called to live life with purpose.
    I have the eBook about writing your personal mission statement by Franklin Covey, it helped a lot in writing the statement as I has no clue how to do so.

  4. Hello Deb, this is beautiful and motivating.
    Thank you for sharing this resource.
    God Bless

  5. I love, love, love this idea. I’m going to take some valuable time tonight and develop my own mission statement. Thank you for linking up with us at Grace & Truth!

  6. Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros says:

    This is a great post. Really helps me. Thank you.

  7. Deb, I love this! and really needed it. I was writing yesterday and wondering who I am, and praying that the Holy Spirit will reveal who I was created to be. This may seam silly, I can’t quite explain it. But I found this and it has really spoke to me just when I needed it. Thank you!