The best way to craft a mission statement is to start by listing qualities and ideas that matter to you now. Then look for themes that you believe will be an important part of your life ten, twenty, and even fifty years from today. Ideally, the way that you fulfill your mission statement will change over time, but your overall mission will remain steady. For example, if football is part of your mission you might pursue your mission by playing football in high school, coaching your child’s football teams as an adult, and learning about the sport throughout your lifetime.
I use this simple illustration to help families understand what a mission statement is about. In short, a mission statement is a lighthouse—a stead guide that illuminates one’s path, no matter how stormy life becomes. [Tweet “When we know our mission, there is always a clear path to follow.”]
The Value of Mission
A number of excellent books have been written about the value of mission over the past decade. Mission statements are so important that it is difficult to find a company without one. Even fast-food companies know that they must embrace more than delicious food in order to thrive. Customer experience and company culture matter too, and these components are often an important part of the company’s mission. Although mission statements sometimes go by different names, the idea of having a lighthouse, providing a clear path to follow, remains the same.
“Those who aim at nothing are sure to hit it every time.” This well-known axiom is more relevant than ever. Our world is filled with shiny distractions. Those who fail to make plans will find themselves rushing from one thing to the next. C.OW.’s—also known as the Crisis Of the Week—abound. It used to be that business was a sign of hard work and determination. However, in 2016, rushing from one thing to the next is the norm. It is far more difficult to slow down than to hurry through life.
This is precisely why having a clear mission matters. [Tweet “Mission is a lighthouse that shines directly on our busy lives.”]
Overcoming Mission Statement Anxiety
Mission statement anxiety takes many forms. Sometimes, people feel so pressured to have a well-crafted, unchanging, masterpiece, that nothing gets done at all. Of course, this is a huge mistake. Mission statements don’t need to be perfect, and contrary to popular belief, they can morph over time.
When choosing keywords for one’s mission statement, the idea is to choose qualities, activities, and ideas that you envision being an important part of your life fifty years from now. However, this doesn’t mean that things can’t change over time. When I was in my twenties, I thought many activities would be an important part of my life forever. As I have grown older—and wiser—some of these activities are no longer as important as they once were. People change, values change, and your mission may change too. Don’t feel that everything has to be perfect. When it comes to developing a mission statement, having an imperfect statement is far better than having none at all.
The good news is that if you are careful about the words you choose, the meaning behind those words will change as you do. Years ago, I chose the word growth, as part of my mission. At the time, I fulfilled this portion of my mission by attending college, reading books, and participating in workshops. Today, I teach college classes and spend more time writing books than I do reading them—though I still do read quite a bit. I’m also beginning to teach workshops as opposed to attending them. Today, I am growing more by writing and teaching than I did by reading and studying. My mission is the same, yet the way I’m living out my mission continues to morph over time.
Missional Value
For bloggers, having a mission statement means that no matter how hectic life becomes, your writing will always have direction.
[Tweet “For bloggers, a mission statement illuminates meaningful content and fresh ideas!”]
On a personal level, a clear mission means that when life’s storms hit–no matter how chaotic and messy things become—you will always have a guiding light.
Discovering Your Mission
The easiest way to discover one’s mission is by writing out keywords and values that matter. Brainstorm as many as you can. Then, look for common themes. Cross out words that are not a good fit, and see if you can find the underlying theme behind words that are time-sensitive. For example, words like reading, college, student, study, books, education, etc. were all incorporated into my chosen mission of “growth.” Although I was attending college at the time, I also recognized that in just a few years college would be much less important. The personal growth aspect of school was what I enjoyed the most. This refining process led me to the discovery that “growth,”not “college,”was my true mission.
Refining Your Mission Statement
Some people like to form a carefully crafted statement. Others create fancy t-shirts and wall-placards. My preference is to keep things simple by sticking with five key words—no fancy phrases. The words alone are enough and keep things easy to remember. My missional words are Jesus, family, growth, joy, and health (both physical and mental health). No matter what circumstances I find my in, these are the things that matter! These key areas encompass the majority of my writing. When life gets busy, these priorities always, always, always receive attention. There are many other important areas of life, yet these are the bare-bones of what truly matters. This is my lighthouse! What is yours?
How about you? Do you have a mission statement? If you do, please feel free to share it in the comments below. If not, what are some of the keywords that make up your lighthouse? Please share those too. What other questions about mission statements do you have? I can’t wait to continue our conversation in the comments below!
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~ Angela - “Great questions for a date or a long-time married couple.”
~ Bill
I would love to add your review to the list!
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You can add your review here!
My husband and I use to have a Mission Statement for our family when the girls were young. We framed it and hung it on the wall where everyone could see it. It certainly helped when the girls would question why we do the things we do. Thanks for hosting. I hope this finds you all more rested and adjusting to days with a new baby and sibling adjustment.
Great insight here! My mission statement has been a beacon of light when I have gone off path. But as you mentioned, I have also had to refine it when necessary. Thanks for sharing and for hosting. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for your weekly practical tips!
Thank you for hosting!
I agree that a mission statement is vital for us. You really provide some good tips for organizing your thoughts in order to write your mission statement. Any time I visit a company that post their mission statement, I always take the time to read it. It provides a good insight to what the company is about.
Thanks for hosting! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend 🙂
I love this – I think it’s so important to refine and re-evaluate from time to time because, like you say, we all grow and change. My mission statement would have looked very different ten years ago! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing at #FridayFrivolity
Thanks for hosting and very interesting.
I like your reference to our mission statements as a guiding light. I, too, have a mission statement and it does guide many of my decisions. Thank you for sharing a part of your blog for this link-up.
I love this post. It really is so important to have a mission statement for your blog, work, and life in general. Without knowing where you want to go, how can you find the path to get there?
Of course it must adapt to a changing world. Not lose itself entirely but adapt. You explain in depth how to approach it and this is extremely valuable. A clear idea isn’t always easy to communicate effectively!
Whenever I get discouraged my mission statement keeps me going. My mission is to help keep families strong through the trials in life by encouraging them in their walk with Christ. As we grow closer to the Lord we, in turn, grow closer to each other. Congrats on your book launch! I’ll have to put that on my reading list!
I loved how you have applied the concept of mission statement to your own missional words and priorities in life. I’ve never truly thought of it as a guiding light, but now that I have read your post, it makes perfect sense. Thanks for your insight. I will be crafting my own mission statement very soon.
I have never been any good at figuring out a mission statement or having long-term goals. I always hated interview questions where they ask, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years, 20 years?” My only thought always “to still be alive!” lol
Thank you for the wonderful reminder! It’s easy to feel like our blogs or books aren’t reaching anyone. When we re-focus on our mission and why we do what we do, it puts everything in perspective!
Wow looks like a great link up! thank you for hosting
@spreadingJOY
spreading-joy.org
Interesting post, a mission statement seems like a great way to achieve one’s goals. I should try it out sometimes, hopefully with the help of your post I might be able to achieve my own goals in life.
Jed, I like the idea of having a few words instead a fancy formal statement. I tend to get bogged down in making it sound just right! Thanks for hosting. Have a great week-end!
Really good post. My husband and I have a marriage mission statement but not a family one yet.
I definitely need to craft my mission statement! It has been on my list of things to do for a while but I always seem to put it off!
thank you for this. It was definitely inspiring. I’ll try to find my mission =)
Having a mission is really important, it helps you have a purpose and stay on track. If you know you’re end goal, it’s easier to find the steps to follow.
Such great practical tips. So glad I stumbled on your site from another link up this morning! I’ve had a lot of fun creating my blog mission statement! Your post reassures me that I’m on the right track! Blessings, liz
Mission statements help us in our focus, and should be an important step for writers, bloggers, and families. The plus is that while they are important, they can be shifted, tweaked and redefined as we grow as people. Remembering that always helps me not to get stressed over it.
I really think mission statements are helpful and we usually do them in school! It really serves as a guide to you!
It’s so important to have a clear mission! Great post!! Hope you’re having a great Saturday!
Jed,
I believe mission statement is like purpose, right. And when we seek God whole-heartedly He will give us a passion for His purpose. That becomes ours. It has taken me awhile to figure this out.
Blessings,
Janis
I believe that you along with a big goal and a mission statement you should also have smaller goals on the way. This way you make the journey more pleasant and you give yourself motivation to reach the main goal. Think of it like a recipe: you have to get all the ingredients and then mix them together in order to make a cake. And then you have to decorate the cake, before it’s ready. And I also think that it’s important that once you reach your main goal, to make another one. You should have different goals every couple of years.
We still remember that when we joined our first company through out of training period we were made aware of the companies mission and their vision. Without mission statements you cannot measure your growth. Thanks for sharing its time to refine our mission statement.
Hi, very important conversation starter for bloggers. What is my mission in blogging? I am focusing on reaching the lost for Christ in creative and loving ways. I am especially drawn toward witnessing to Buddhist and Hindu people at the moment through my blog. I hope you will stop by and see some of my posts on the subject. 😉 Thanks for the great linkup too.
This is not the first time I’ve come across the idea of having a mission statement for a blog, but I must confess I have not done one! But, I do think you have a great point here, that we need to have direction – I have always felt that I’ve struggled to find my voice with my blog, but maybe this would actually help me – so thank you!
Before starting any venture/ business, Mission statement is very important because it states your objectives and always keeps you focused!
PS I like cover 2 the best
Great post! My sister has written mission statements and looked at them years on and it’s a great way to see how far you’ve came 🙂
Hi Jed and Jen,
This is a really great article. I resonate a lot with it and I believe lots of people will feel comforted by your words. Having a mission means to know why you are doing things. For example, when I try to help my students to find their way, it is a mission. Without it, my work would have no point. Mission gives meaning to all the things we do in life.
Zaria
Sometimes even if he have a clear mission and goals, there is still something holding us back. That anxiety telling us what will happen if we don`t succeed, paralizing our actions. Well put, cheers!
Thanks for sharing! We’ve been working on a mission statement for our blog. In fact, after 8 years of marriage, this is the first year we prayed about and came up with a mission statement for our marriage! I need to remind myself what that is! LOL! Thanks again!