We all need guideposts – principles and priorities to steer us through calm and turbulent waters. As I’ve grown, I’ve tried to crystalize the fundamental roles and ideals that matter most to me into a personal mission statement, like a north star to follow.
These roles are important to me:
Myself: I show up for myself first. I take care of my body, mind, and spirit.
Partner: Corie is the most important person in my life.
Dad: I help Champy experience great joy
Brother, grandson, nephew: I am there for love and support.
Athlete: I push boundaries
Neighbor: I treat others how I want to be treated
Friend: I make friendship a fine art.
Scholar: I learn new things daily
I Promise Creed:
To be happy and true to myself.
To be productive and effective with my time
To give my best all the time with a positive attitude.
To embrace sobriety
To plan tomorrow’s work today.
To laugh instead of cry.
To eliminate fear with faith.
To listen more than I speak.
To reflect frequently.
To check my vices and habits.
To play the long game.
To spend less than I earn.
To make each day my masterpiece.
To pray for guidance and give thanks for my blessings every day.
These roles and resolves are my ideal life to live – with purpose and presence. I know I’ll veer off course at times – that’s life – but by continually re-orienting myself toward these guiding principles, I hope to keep progressing on the journey that matters most… designing life how I want to live, not how other people want me too.
Action items
Crafting a mission statement is a profound exercise in self-discovery.
- Reflect on Your Values and Priorities
Take some time to really think about what matters most to you in life. What are your core values? What roles and relationships are most important? Make a list of the things that you want to prioritize. - Identify Your Driving Forces
Consider what motivates and inspires you at a deep level. Maybe it’s making a difference, achieving financial freedom, being a great parent, or leaving a legacy. Pinpoint the driving forces behind why you want to live with purpose. - Determine Your Roles
Most personal mission statements define key roles we want to uphold, like partner, parent, friend, professional, etc. Narrow down the 5-7 most important roles you want to focus on playing well. - Draft Your Statement
Using your lists of values, priorities, roles, and driving forces as a guide, draft a few sentences or paragraphs that sum up your personal philosophy and mission. How do you want to show up in this world? - Define Your Commitments
This one is optional: maybe include a creed or list of specific commitments, promises, and intentions for how you want to behave and make an impact. These can serve as guiding principles. - Cut
While rough drafts can be longer, try to ultimately distill your personal mission statement down to just a few powerful lines that are inspiring yet concise and memorable. - Get Input & Refine
Share your draft with trusted friends or mentors and get their feedback. Do the words really resonate and capture your essence? Use their input to refine and polish your statement. - Revisit Regularly
A personal mission statement shouldn’t be static – plan to review and potentially update yours annually as your perspectives evolve over time.
The key is making it personal and authentic to your true self.
Speaking of
revisiting regularly (just now) caused me to maybe make my personal mission statement mroe concise:
I am the captain of my soul, fueled by love.
As man, partner, father – I strive for joy.
An athlete ever-pushing boundaries.
A friend, neighbor, treating all how I want to be treated
A lifelong scholar on a journey of growth.
Embrace truth and sobriety.
Make each day a masterpiece of productivity.
Conquer fear through faith, reflection, and laughter.
Play the long game – and play it with integrity.
Give thanks for each blessing.
Joe DiAndrea 