Guidelines for Creating Your Personal Mission Statement

While there is no unique format or formula for creating your personal mission statement, the following guidelines may be helpful:

Spend some time reflecting on the whole of your life, and ask yourself these questions:

What have I always loved?
What always lights me up? What about that thing do I enjoy?
What do I tend to get complimented on by others?
What are my unique strengths and talents?

Your mission statement should touch upon what you want to focus on and who you want to become as a person (character) in this part of your life. Think about specific actions, behaviors, habits and qualities that would have a significant positive impact in this part of your life over the next one to three years.
Make sure your mission statement is positive. Instead of saying what you don't want to do or be, say what you do want to do or become. Find the positive alternatives to any negative statements.
Include positive behaviors, character traits and values that you consider particularly important and want to develop further.
Keep it simple, clear and brief. The best mission statements tend to be 3 to 5 sentences long.
Create a mission statement that will guide you in your day-to-day actions and decisions. Make it a part of your everyday life.
Think about how your mission affects the other areas of your life. Will it conflict with or contradict any of your values or commitments? Is it balanced?
Make it emotional. Including an emotional payoff in your mission statement infuses it with passion and will make it even more compelling, inspiring and energizing.
Your mission statement should be more about who you’re "being" rather than what you’re "doing" in life. It is a statement of your essence, strengths and characteristics, rather than on what you do or your career. It is who you’re being while you’re doing what you’re doing.

Remember that your mission statement is a dynamic process that can change that will "grow with you." It will continue to change and evolve as you gain insights about yourself and what you want out of each part of your life.