Reasons You Need a Mission Statement and How to Write One

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Do you know your purpose? Do you apply it to your time management? You need a #MissionStatement - here's help. #Planning #BlessingBloggers #TimeManagement

I want to live intentionally! I want to live my beliefs and values!

But I wonder if the people closest to me, who am I kidding … I wonder if I would say I’m actually fulfilling my goals.

That thought inspired to write a personal mission statement . . . a brief description of God’s purpose for my life.

What do you think..?

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

The Bible says God has plans for His people. Plans and purposes for you and me.

If that’s true, I want to know what they are and live by them? Imagine how intentionally you and I could plan our days if we made it our goal to live His plans and purposes.

I believe writing a personal mission statement can help me plan my days wisely and help me know when to say “yes” and when it’s better to say “no.”

Since I thought you might want to write your own Mission Statement, I decided I’d share the process I used to write mine…

How to Start Your Mission Statement

Grab a 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 a healthy diet, 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.

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.” 

Reasons You Need a #MissionStatement and How to Write One by Deb Wolf @ Counting My Blessings #TimeManagement #Productivity

The Live with Purpose program helped me narrow my thoughts down to the following:

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…

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

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 … living in ways others know how much I love Jesus…

I will do my best to be a person of whom my family and friends say “she loves big”…

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 these four dimensions of my life:

  Physical Health – Exercise 3-4 times a week and eat a healthy diet.
  Spiritual Health – Spend time every day in prayer and Bible reading. I will gather with other believers regularly.
  Mental Health – Never stop learning and spend time with family and friends.
 Emotional Health – Schedule time for rest and relaxation. 

That seemed like a lot to remember; so, I narrowed it down and made it more specific.

But first, I decided to look at the life of Jesus to see if I could learn more from His example of purposeful living.

“I believe that Jesus would have given His life for just one person. Jesus emptied Himself, He humbled Himself and He so yielded Himself to His Father’s love that He had no ambition of His own. He was not looking to build an empire, He did not want praise or adulation or to impress people with who or how many followed Him. He stopped over and over again for just one person, for just one life.” ~Heidi Baker

Jesus knew His mission, His purpose. He knew the plan and He lived it … in the process, He gave us a clear example of how intentional living should look.

Although you and I may not be able to change time and history and we may not affect countless lives for all eternity … we are able to make a difference in the lives of the people around us.

You see, Jesus gave all of us a sample Mission Statement…

 Love the Lord God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and love my neighbor as I love myself. Mark 12:30–31

Do you know your purpose? Do you apply it to your time management? You need a #MissionStatement - here's help. #Planning #BlessingBloggers #TimeManagement

So, that’s where I began…

My Mission Statement

To love God completely with all my mind and my emotions. To intentionally spend time every day in prayer and Bible study. To get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, and exercise so I’ll have the strength I need to love and care for the people in my life. To never stop learning, spend face to face time with friends and family and treat everyone (even me) with kindness and forgiveness. To celebrate each day’s blessings and glorify God with gratitude for His loving care. I will do this with God’s help and by His grace. 

Writing Your Mission Statement
Let’s Sum It Up 

Go back to your answers to the questions above. Based on your answers, write four or five “To…” sentences, succinctly naming those things most important to you. Stay positive – don’t use any negative words or phrases. You want to be inspired and motivated. 

Remember, the goal of your Mission Statement is to:

Help you clearly identify what’s most important.
Give you a foundation for making major, life-directing decisions.
Help you make daily decisions in spite of circumstances or emotions.
Help you live intentionally … focused, confident, and intentional.

Once you’re finished, keep your Mission Statement someplace you can see it.

When you and I live our God-given purpose, we can approach each day with joy, focus on the opportunities He gives, and let Him do the rest!

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22 Comments

  1. Hi Deb,
    It is great to journal & get thoughts down especially to see where we are at & where we believe God is calling us to go…& prayerfully how He wants us to go about it. I have not heard of a personal mission statement before.

    I always advised my patients to remember…. that while we can plan all things we need to leave room for God’s plans for our lives to be accomplished, which can often come wrapped totally different to what we had in our interpretation of His will for us… Jeremiah 29: 11-13 is my favorite ‘go to’ scripture.

    As in my instance of chronic health conditions… that has my life taking a completely different course now to what I previously was doing… but still with purpose for Him!
    Jennifer

    1. You’re right … still with purpose! My life looks very different than I imagined but although it’s different, it’s blessed and full of purpose. I love how God can pick up the pieces and make us useful for Him. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorites too. Blessings!

  2. Great post, Deb, and it’s a great reminder for me. I first heard of writing a mission statement from HelloMornings, and when I did it years ago it was life changing.

    1. Yay, for you, Kelly! So glad to hear that writing a mission statement blessed you! Thanks for sharing that with all of us here! God bless you!

  3. Yay! I’m finally home, so I can now comment!
    I love your mission statement, Deb. Thanks for sharing the steps in writing one for all of us. I can certainly see how it helps us to focus our lives for the bigger plan.
    Blessings!

    1. I’m so glad you’re home! Take a little time to breathe and catch up! Blessings, my friend!

  4. I try to be intentional about my purpose, but I do wonder if I get lost in the details of everyday.
    Thank you for the feature today–you are always an encouragement to me!

    1. Thank you, Michele! I struggle too. It’s so easy to just go through the motions of the day. My constant prayer is to stay focused and purposeful! You are such a blessing to me!

  5. You are living out one of your goals: continuing to learn! Me, too and I want to give up some days. I learned something recently: I need to do something creative every day – or at least every other day -to give me joy. I’m wired that way. It was a fun discovery. And makes me happy to get up in the morning. (ie, not just do the work, but write a new blog or bake a new thing… ) As you are telling your readers: it’s okay to know yourself better – how God made you – to then do His To-Do list daily and with joy.
    FYI I read in Love Does this very morning: don’t write a mission statement – just do your mission statement! Love Bob Goff. I think you are doing the same thing. (:
    If ever in CA, please come for lunch or coffee and we can walk on the beach and go to my favorite thrift stores.

    1. What a cool thing to learn about yourself! And I would love to sit with you over lunch and wander the beach and thrift stores. It sounds like a perfect afternoon. Blessings and hugs!

  6. It’s been awhile since I wrote a family mission statement. I definitely see the great importance in having a mission statement for ourselves. It can help us stay on track when we get prone to wander or to give up. Thanks for this encouragement, Deb!

    1. Oh, I can be so prone to get off track, wander, and give up. I’m so thankful for His forgiveness and willingness to remind me of the purpose He has for me and let me try again. It’s awesome that you wrote a mission statement for your family. I’m sure that would be a huge blessing to every family! God bless you, my friend!

  7. Great idea to live intentionally! I love the look at the life of Jesus and how He had a mission and stayed on course. So motivating! Blessings to you!

    1. That’s my prayer, Connie … to live intentionally, to know Him and make Him known. What a huge blessing we have to be able to read God’s Word to know, love, and follow Jesus. Blessings!

  8. Thanks for putting this together Deb. I’ve never really thought about doing a personal mission statement, but I can see the value. I have a vacation coming up soon. I’ll plan on putting some thought into this!

    1. Thank you, Christine! Have a wonderful vacation … praying it’s a wonderful time of rest and renewal. God bless you!

  9. I had never thought of a personal mission statement. What a unique idea. I guess it’s not much different than a vision board or goal setting. Love this idea Deb!

  10. Deb, Thank you for this post. I found it very helpful especially since you added examples. I stopped and answered the first four questions and now need to go back and put it into sentences.

    Thank you for sharing with Grace & Truth Christian Link-Up. Maree

  11. The “mission statement” that I use is the same one that God gave to the Jewish people. They recite it morning and night. ” Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deut. 6:4-5
    Thanks for hosting!