Personal Mission
You are probably familiar with the concept of a mission statement, certainly in the context of organizations. The idea is to create purpose beyond merely selling a product or service. If that mission is executed well, it motivates employees, fosters camaraderie, and makes a genuine impact.
Consumers also seek purpose in their preferred brands. This is the “Start With Why” adage made famous by Simon Sinek. If you’ve never watched the video below, I highly recommend checking it out. As Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Such an aphorism can seem surprisingly revelatory to many of us at first utterance, but it makes perfect sense. As a species, we are uniquely obsessed with meaning.
However, while we are generally comfortable with establishing a raison d’être for an organization, we aren’t inclined to do the same for ourselves. Conversely, we treat personal purpose as something we need to find. As a result, our sense of an individual why often remains nebulous and vague. It’s loosely defined, if at all.
In fact, most of us have never thought of crafting a personal mission statement. It’s a notion I certainly hadn’t considered until hearing Evan Hafer, Founder of Black Rifle Coffee, talk about it on the Joe Rogan Experience. During that conversation, Evan recounted his experience leaving the military and his realization that he needed to give himself a new direction. So he penned a short mission statement which was simply “to transition out of government service and live a happy and fulfilling life.”
In terms of creeds that may seem prosaic or even banal to you at first glance. But even something as simple as this can have immense power and impact if incorporated into everyday waking existence. In fact, the more I thought about what Evan had done, the more I realized that a personal mission statement is not only important but also vital. I now view it as the cornerstone for the overall orientation of your mind, the bedrock of mindset. Everything else gets built on top of it. How can you properly evaluate what you do or categorize something as “fulfilling” if you don’t have a definitive why?
It’s also galvanizing. Sinek repeatedly talks about attracting people who believe what you believe in business and the power of inspiration to create a successful brand. The only difference with a personal why is that your target audience and company are identical and consist of one person—you.
Creating a mission statement for yourself is especially critical if you’ve spent a long time dedicated to an occupation that seemingly gave you purpose, like the military. After all, defending the nation is a big why. I can attest to the feeling of personal worth and import ending in tandem with such a career, but failing to realize, along with many others, that the military didn’t create meaning for me. Its mission simply aligned with my values. I sought out the job because its why was my why.
The trick is to reify those personal values and create something tangible that can carry you forward, regardless of your situation. Don’t look for purpose. Define it. Then make sure your occupation, and more importantly, your life, is congruent with that credo. This is true for anyone, veteran or otherwise.
That’s exactly what I did a few months ago. And I must admit it was much harder than I was anticipating. However, it afforded me the opportunity to codify a method that others can use to do the same thing. I’ve created a worksheet to guide you through the process, including step-by-step instructions, as well as my own input as an example. Think of it as a blueprint for your why—a “youprint” if you will…
Here are the steps:
Write down everything you value. For me, this included things like integrity, humility, family, friendship, fitness, and music.
Write down everything you don’t value (but are prone to engage in). What I call “anti-values.” For example, negative emotions like anxiety, anger, regret, and selfishness are my anti-values.
Write down an action for every value and anti-value. These should be broad. What can you do in general to champion the things you value and oppose the things you don’t?
Write down a goal to support each action. Make these as specific as possible. For example, if you value physical fitness, and your action is to work out consistently, a goal might be to train for a half marathon. You don’t need to have one for every action. But try your best.
Choose the combinations that matter most right now and craft your personal mission statement. It must be something you can remember off the top of your head, not a page or paragraph. No more than twenty-five words total. We are looking for something concise and inspirational. As a reference point, here’s mine:
To be the example of fearless expression and integrity, but never forget to laugh at yourself.
Now it’s your turn. Write a personal mission statement in the next thirty days. Feel free to use mine as a guide or start from scratch. If you are using the sheet, please don’t edit the sheet directly. Make your own copy first.
Be as specific, comprehensive, and honest as possible. Remember, you aren’t doing this to impress someone else. Just make it about you right now. What do you value? Who do you actually want to be? What kind of impact do you want to have? It doesn’t have to be set in stone for the rest of your life. You can change it later. In fact, the original version of this article I wrote for the GORUCK blog contained an earlier form of my own mission statement. Just get something down.
Then the challenge is living up to it. Defining a mission statement is a great first step. But means little if you don’t embody its espousals. So print the thing out and put it places you see often to hold yourself accountable. Hang it on your wall. Use it as the descriptor on your social media profiles. Make it the master Sisyphean task on your to-do list that’s perpetually checked off with disappearing ink.
If you don’t do it, the only thing you risk failing is yourself. There is no test other than… life. Your mindset starts here. Stop searching for purpose. Give yourself one.
DISCLAIMER: RARE SENSE® content is not medical advice. Nor does it represent the official position or opinions of any other organization or person. If you require diagnosis or treatment for a mental or physical issue or illness, please seek it from a licensed professional.