How to develop your own mission statement

A Personal Mission Statement is a list of personal commandments for you to live by.  Designing your list of personal commandments is a great tool in working toward your own personal happiness and success.  Defining what you are all about will help you reach your goals and keep you focused on who you are and what you really want out of life.

Every person's list will be different. Your list should include themes that keep coming up in your life.  They might be:  Forgive and forget; help others; don't put off tomorrow what you can do today; live and let live; forget the past; just do it; no fear; expect a miracle; aim high; stay calm, or any number of other commandments.

One theme that kept coming up in my life was, "Let go."  So I incorporated it into my own Personal Mission Statement.  You might want to include some of my commandments in your list.

Colleen's Personal Mission Statement:

-Be kind. (because acts of kindness release endorphins);

-Live in the moment (smell the roses);

-Live in thankfulness;

-Baby steps to success everyday;

-Do what's right;

-Keep a sense of humor;

-Forgive (forgive myself and others);

-Smile;

-Live in love (love myself and others)

-Let go;

-Fake it until I make it (act the way I want to feel);

-Take action now;

-Dream big;

-Expect a miracle;

-Breathe;

-Stop worrying;

In developing your own Personal Mission Statement, think about yourself.  Think about what you want out of life, what you care about, your values, your strengths and your weaknesses.  Think about the success you want to achieve. The following tips will help you develop your Personal Mission Statement:

Tip 1: Pay Attention.  In developing your list, pay attention to your world.  What words, themes or phrases do you keep hearing?  What concepts or ideas keep coming up over and over again in your life?  It may be a famous quote you keep hearing.  A short passage from the bible that keeps coming up.  A saying that your mother used to repeat.  It may be a metaphor.  Take heed!  This is the universe trying to guide you into the right direction.

Tip 2: Develop your list with great care.  Take your time and think hard. It may take weeks or even months to develop.  Once you have your list complete, you might want to add some and subtract others.  Your commandments must make sense in your life.  They are rules for you to live by.

Tip 3: Keep them simple.  Don't get too wordy.  Short and snappy is best.  It'll make them easier to remember and easier to live by.

Tip 4:  Make sure they really reflect you.  If they don't resonate in your heart, they don't belong on your list.  Replace them with commandments that define you and your mission on earth more accurately.