Personal mission statement: How to write one?

Minimize chaos and increase professional focus by defining your life's purpose in one sentence.

Life can get pretty overwhelming. Let's face it: you're inundated with choices that need to be made, and sometimes those options look really good. Other times, you wonder if the choice you make is the right thing for your life.

What you need is a good personal mission statement! But how do you write one? Just as importantly, what is a personal mission statement? You've come to the right place.

What's the point of a personal mission statement?

Undoubtedly, you've heard of creating SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely – at some point in life to manage projects or take the right steps on the path toward getting things done. There may have even been assignments in school where you practiced writing SMART goals.

A personal mission statement is the why behind your goals. It's your big picture – the thing that drives you to be the best version of yourself. When you take the time to define your mission and write it down, you'll have a beacon that can help you stay focused on the things that matter.

Key takeaway: A personal mission statement gives you direction and purpose in work and life so you can make choices that align with your values, dreams, vision, and goals.

The 3 parts of a personal mission statement

Your personal mission statement should be a one-sentence guide that not only reflects who you are and where you're heading in life. It can be quite challenging to trim out the fluff and come up with a statement that is concise and impactful.

The process of writing your personal mission statement can be simplified by breaking it down into three parts: Purpose, Values, and Goals.

Your purpose (the why): Think about why you do what you do. What is it that makes you get out of bed in the morning? You might want to be a positive role model for others. Perhaps you are focused on effecting change in your community. This part of your personal mission statement should be THE THING that drives you and gives your life a sense of meaning.
Your values (the how): These are the principles you live by, the things that are most important to you, and have a solid impact on your moral compass. They can include integrity, kindness, compassion, accountability, and balance.
Your dreams and vision, e.g., goals (the what): This is your path in life – the big-picture path that gets you from where you are to a place where you're fulfilling your personal aspirations. This is what you want to achieve, whether that's career success, personal growth, or making a meaningful impact on others.

After you define each of these three categories, then you can start setting targeted and tangible goals to achieve your purpose. The personal mission statement is a guide that helps you know where you're going; your goals will get you there.

It's time to write your personal mission statement

Now that you understand the key components of a personal mission statement, it's time to put pen to paper – or finger to keyboard. The best way to go about getting your brain juices flowing is to ask yourself a series of questions:

What have you learned in life?
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
What are you naturally good at?
What are your personal and professional passions?
Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, or 20 years?
What are some words or phrases that capture your beliefs and dreams?

At this point, you should be brainstorming ideas, so don't worry if you end up with what feels like a jumble of random phrases. As you reflect on your key life experiences, you'll start to see a few trends. These patterns can help guide you toward your purpose and the values that matter most.

Start combining the phrases that resonate with you into a rough draft of your personal mission statement. Don't rush it though. Walk away and let the draft sit for a while. When you come back to it with fresh eyes, you may find that new inspiration jumps out at you or you might see a way to condense and combine ideas more succinctly.

Personal mission statement examples

Now that you have your personal mission statement written, or at least an idea of what you may write, it's a good idea to have some examples to ensure that you are on the right track. Also, if you're still having a hard time getting started, you can use some personal mission statement examples to draw inspiration from.

Here are some sample personal mission statements that reflect different values, purposes, and visions:

For Personal Growth: "To continually grow and improve by learning new skills and embracing challenges while staying true to my core values of integrity and perseverance."
For Leadership: "To lead with empathy, inspire others to reach their full potential, and foster a positive, growth-oriented environment where creativity and collaboration thrive."
For Community Impact: "To make a meaningful impact in my community by using my strengths and resources to create opportunities for others and promote positive change."
For Work-Life Balance: "To maintain a healthy balance between my professional ambitions and personal life, prioritizing well-being, family, and personal fulfillment."
For Creativity and Innovation: "To explore creative solutions and innovate in everything I do while staying grounded in my values of authenticity, curiosity, and perseverance."

Personal mission statement formula

A lot of people will ask whether there is a specific formula to follow for writing a great personal mission statement. Since personal mission statements are highly personal, there is no hard-and-fast approach. However, you can rely on the following fill-in-the-blank template to help you whittle down your purpose, values, and dreams into a concise statement.

Template: I aim to [purpose/why] by [values/how] so that I can [vision/what].
Example using this template: I am to inspire others by leading with empathy and creativity so that I can help people reach their potential and make a positive impact.

If that's too simplistic, you could also use this variation:

Template: I will [action] by living according to my values [list key values] so that I can [vision].
Example using this template: I pursue lifelong learning and growth by living according to my values of curiosity, integrity, and perseverance so that I can create opportunities for positive change for those around me.

Even if you embrace the concept of emulating people who inspire you, remember the rest of that phrase centers around the idea that you shouldn't try to be those people.

The actual quote comes from Oscar Wilde's famous line, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Your personal mission statement should reflect your own path and does not need to look like anyone else's. Make it authentic to you and your unique journey.

Write it, live it, evolve it

There is no right or wrong way to develop your personal mission statement. As long as what you come up with shines as a guiding light that helps you make the best decisions for your life, then you're in a good place with it. Also, as your life changes, your personal mission statement should evolve. Nothing, including your purpose, values, or dreams, is ever written in stone. Stay true to yourself and create something that inspires you to live authentically.

Now that you have a personal mission statement to guide your life and career, it's time to ensure your resume reflects that same clarity. Our resume-writing experts can give your resume a free once-over to make sure that it properly highlights your strengths and showcases the direction you want to take in your career.