At the Moment: Personal Mission Statements

Performance reviews are brilliant things. For some, they are fabulous. For others, not so much. Good or bad, they serve as a reminder that our perceptions are our own reality. But this time during the self-evaluation process, I was able to (off the record) commit a personal mission statement to my performance review, my center, and my purpose, both professionally and personally.

I found creating my personal mission statement to be a cathartic experience. It provided self-discovery, is unique to me, and constitutes my values, vision, and purpose. However, it will evolve.


My Personal Mission Statement

Overall Statement of My Life’s Mission
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

My life’s mission is to come upon my undiscovered talents that best bring about perfection in the material and spiritual worlds, as well as be a giving and loving person in my important relationships and even in those that may extend beyond my immediate circle.


My Guide
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” – Mikhail Baryshnikov

I believe that where I am right now is the right place for me to be; this does not suggest I take a passive role in my life.


Important Relationships
“To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Partner: The relationship with my partner shall be of mutual respect and where I can love and differentiate between that which is satisfactory and that which is perfect.

Child/Next Generation: Believe it or not, I do enjoy children, even though I talk to them as I talk to you. So until I have a child of my own, I extend myself to my nieces, nephew and Godson any way that I can but wish that I were physically closer to celebrate their birthdays, holidays, and special occasions with them.

Parents: I love all of my parents. I warmly welcome their unconditional love and advice. You would be surprised how right they are most of the time, but if you repeat that, I will deny it. :-) I shall continue to work toward transitioning our parent-child relationships into adult-adult relationships.

Siblings: I could afford to strengthen my relationships with my two sisters (on my father’s side) and brother (on my late mother’s side). Presently, my knowledge of the events in each of their respective lives remains at a high-level.

Friends: My friends are an extension of my family. I love to converse and explore new things with them, will always offer to bring them chicken soup if they are sick, and work harder to not be heavy-handed with advice.

Employer: I will use the power of communication, industriousness, and efficiency to get my work done and rise to any challenge, hopefully whilst ensuring that my goals and values are aligned with the mission, vision, and values of my employer.

Community: In August 2007, I moved to Minneapolis but have yet to engage in volunteer opportunities within the health and/or arts communities. I look forward to resuming my volunteering efforts upon the completion of graduate school.


Learning
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I consider myself a work in progress and a love of learning assists in my quest for self-improvement. By keeping an open mind and appreciating thoughtful academic research, well scripted television banter, provocative articles, friendly social networking sites, books of interest, and smart and funny conversations during hours of happiness, I hope to have a more tolerant, imaginative, and positive approach to my life, personally, socially, and professionally.


Self-Esteem and Security
“Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other. Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are many ups and downs in life but as the above quote says, there is something that I can do better than anyone else. Now it is just a matter of inducing this competitive advantage and sustaining it.

I derive my worth from the quality of my relationships, the material and spiritual things in my life, and knowing that I have faith – all of which are measurable by my smile. I try my hardest not to compare myself to others since we are different persons with different experiences; but that is usually not the case, therefore, I seek to turn insecurities into opportunities or discard them as irrelevant.


Strength
“Anger is only one letter short of danger.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Two primary sources where I draw strength to achieve my life’s mission are from the feedback and interactions with my family, friends, and colleagues, and the ideas that challenge my existing way of thinking. Also, by being versatile in my communications with others and sympathetic to my surroundings, I can learn to be less demanding of myself and others – decreasing the disappointment when my demands are not met and reducing the potential for pessimism.


My Personal Mission Statement and My Daily Life

“The success of any great moral enterprise does not depend upon numbers.” – William Lloyd Garrison

It is through my daily observation, insight, and capacity that I try to apply conscientious care to all aspects of my life. The life choices I have made have contributed to my current way of thinking and approach to life, albeit right or wrong in the opinions of others. But part of my life’s mission knows that as an educated individual, it is my responsibility to give back to the community not only monetarily or by volunteering but also by working for a company to improve and sustain its ethical standards.

So I leave you now with the challenge to create your own personal mission statement. You never know, it may just help you keep the end in mind. You can find samples and templates online but you will be pleased with how yours reflects your own uniqueness. Good luck!

Best,
Hadley