In the last article we talked about creating a personal life plan which culminated in writing a personal story pitch. Today we’ll break down the first step of creating that plan, writing a mission statement. How is a mission statement different from a vision statement and why do we need either for ourselves? Let’s explore!

Vision

A vision statement is a statement describing a preferred future state. For a personal vision statement, it’s what you want to become. Here’s a tweak on the “funeral exercise” found in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that can help us write a personal vision statement:

First, find a quiet place to think and set aside 10 – 20 minutes. Get comfy, then picture that it’s 10 years in the future. You’re an amazing person and you are having an article written about how amazing you are. The reporter is interviewing your family, friends, co-workers and associates. What are each saying about you? They are remarking on what kind of person you are, what impact you’re having, and what you’re accomplishing. Note what you want them to be saying to the reporter. What you want them to say is what’s important to you. The list of answers reflects your values and vision for yourself.

The key to this visioning exercise is you get to choose what they say. Did the people interviewed remark on how kind you were or how generous? Or maybe they recount how friendly and helpful you have been? Perhaps they remark on how dedicated you have been to a particular cause, or to your family. They may describe your accomplishments and impact. You get to choose what your family, co-workers, friends, and associates say about you, even if you don’t possess all those traits or haven’t achieved those accomplishments right now.

That’s the beauty of the vision. It’s a preferred future state, not a description of our state today. Also notice that when we’re describing what people are observing about us, we’re not describing how we came to be that person. In the vision statement we know what the future looks like, not how we got there.

Mission

How we get to the vision is where the mission statement plays a part. The mission statement is what we’re going to do or how we’re going to behave day-to-day in order to achieve the vision.

Examples

Some example vision statements to spark ideas:

Vision: I am a friend my friends can count on, and I am a role model for my nieces.

Mission: I stay connected with my nieces by scheduling time with them and I help and encourage my friends when they are in a season of need.

Vision: I live in a world where engineers feel confident in their skills and talents and find fulfillment in life by living intentionally.

Or – I influence how engineers are coached to lead fulfilling lives by living intentionally.

Mission: I provide resources, tools, and techniques to engineers to help them reflect and grow in order for them to live their lives intentionally congruent with their values.

Or – I use my top talents of listening, coaching, and learning to help engineers reflect and grow so that they can find joy and fulfillment in living an intentional life.

Why bother?

Thinking through who we want to become, and then how we’re going to achieve that, is a hallmark of a high performer. A high performing person doesn’t let life happen to them. This person will decide what’s important to them and will make decisions based on that. Without having the guidance of a vision, mission, or at least an understanding of our values we can be distracted by other people’s agendas and never really feel fulfilled.

Does this mean we can’t experiment with new ideas and try new things? Luckily no. And you are free to evolve, update, and change your vision and mission statements as you grow, learn and experience life. But committing to a direction will help you make decisions with more confidence.

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become.”

James Clear, Atomic Habits

tl;dr

A vision statement is a statement about a preferred future state. It is not a description of the state today. A mission statement describes what you do day-to-day in order for you to be able to achieve the vision.

engineer your life

  • Do the reporter exercise and make a list of what you want the people interviewed to be saying about you.
  • Draft personal vision and mission statements.
  • Place these statements somewhere you’ll see them every day and note if decisions you make are influenced by your vision and mission.

references

“How to Change Your Beliefs and Stick to Your Goals for Good”, James Clear, https://jamesclear.com/identity-votes, accessed January 4, 2020

Image by Daniel Roberts from Pixabay