A Mission Statement is an Excellent Starting Point for Setting Personal Goals

Are you setting personal goals after you've created a written mission statement?

Writing a personal or professional mission statement is frequently part of a self-development program.

That mission statement can also be the basis for setting personal goals to guide your actions.

How?

Treat the mission statement as a vision of the future you’re working towards.

Then you look at how where you are currently, your starting point, compares to where you want to be.

Finally, you list changes that would move you closer to your destination from your current position, and rewrite these into goal statements that can guide your actions from day to day.

Let’s consider an example starting with a mission statement.

Peter Sharp is a graphic artist with his own design firm. He, his son Jeremy and his wife Christine live in a Los Angeles suburb. After a period of self-reflection Peter creates the following mission statement:

I am a successful graphic artist professional. As the owner of my own firm I make a steady and growing income. A devoted father and husband I enjoy time with my family and friends but also take time for physical fitness, rest and reflection. I am regularly renewed by participating actively in our community church, MOSAIC, and volunteer in our community as much as possible.

Peter wants set personal goals. To move from that mission statement to writing goals Peter lists the values reflected in the mission statement and takes note of how well he feels that he is meeting each one.

I am a successful graphic artist professional. corresponds to valuing of career development and success. Peter rates that he is doing reasonably well there. On a 10 scale where a rating of 10 means that things are going extremely well he feels he is at least a 7 or 8.

As the owner of my own firm I make a steady and growing income corresponds to valuing financial success that increases over time. Peter notes that his income, while steady, has not increased in the last year or two. He rates this category as a 5.

Continuing through the balance of his mission statement Peter winds up with a list of values and their corresponding rank on a scale of 1 to 10.

To create goal statements Peter lists changes he could make that would increase the rating he gives to the different categories on his list. After editing those changes to be goal statements that are measurable and time limited he winds up with a list of goals including the following:

Peter’s Goals:

• Over the next 3 months increase my marketing to past and current clients by a factor of 2 or 3 to obtain 15% more assignments and corresponding revenue.
• Increase the frequency and intensity of my workouts to prepare for the half-marathon in November.

He can now move on to form an action plan for these goals and others coming from the process as well.

Setting Personal Goals When You Don't Have a Mission Statement

This same technique will work for you even if you’re not starting with a written mission statement. To begin, grab a pencil and jot down the 6 or 8 values that are most important to you in your life right now.

The keys to this process are speed and honesty. Write down the values that come to mind as fast as you think of them. Above all, do not self-edit! Resist the impulse to pick and choose what you should value. What is most important to you is what is most important to you. Say it honestly and own it.

After you’ve created this list of values follow precisely the same process illustrated for Peter, above:

• Rank how well you feel you are currently expressing those values in your own life.
• List changes you could make to increase your ranking for one or more of the values.
• Re-write those changes as goal statements that are measurable and limited in time.

Follow the same steps if you’re creating goal statements based on a list of life categories. Start with the list of categories and then rank, list and re-write goal statements for targets that the list prompts you to acknowledge.

Once again, you will have completed the task of setting personal goals and can start taking steps to achieve the success you want.

Return from Setting Personal Goals using a Written Mission Statement to Setting and Achieving Goals home.