How to Jumpstart Your Career With a Personal Mission Statement

You’ve just graduated college, degree in hand, and are excited to conquer the world. Or, after years of raising a family or caring for a parent, you want to reinvent yourself and your career. Problem is, you’re not exactly sure where to start. As you look to make that next step, a personal mission statement can help you determine your direction and chart your course. 

“A personal mission statement declares your impact and how you will get there. It encapsulates your vision, values and goals and is often focused on who you will serve or help,” explains Linda M. Perry, a Mindset Coach. “A personal mission statement is important because it guides your choices and keeps you connected to your deep why.”

A personal mission statement sounds inspiring, but how do you create one? And how can it help you to jumpstart your career, no matter what phase of life you’re in? Read on to find out more.

Crafting or Refining Your Personal Mission Statement

Before you sit down to plug away at creating a mission statement, you should understand the purpose for having one. It’s not necessarily something you give to others. A personal mission statement is to guide and focus the person who is the most important key to your success—you.

“The biggest reason to create a mission statement is to create clarity and direction for yourself and others to achieve the goals that are most important to you. Your mission should be big-picture, long-term, and meaningful,” states Mary Olson-Menzel, Founder and CEO of MVP Executive Development.

“Crafting a personal mission statement is an introspective process, which means you'll need to do some self-reflection. I know, maybe not the most fun, but it's crucial if you want to use mission statements as a tool for growth,” says Katie Hostasa, Founder, KMH Leadership.

Consider what values matter to you and why, and what are your strengths and weaknesses. Then, it’s time to get started taking steps to put your personal mission statement together following these steps:

• First, be honest about your current situation. “The first thing you want to consider is who you are right now. Do you have clarity about that? What is the essence of who you are as a person? Always start from where you are today. Only then can you design where you want to go from here,” Olson-Menzel notes. What are you good at and what do you like to do?
• Next, clarify your vision for both now and in the future. Of course, your vision can change, develop, and expand over time. But you’re looking at it from the perspective of where you are right now, and where you want to go, in terms of your goals and aspirations.
• Now focus on your core beliefs, your principles, and your values. “Values are the principles that guide your behaviors and what you would like to truly be known for,” Perry says. “Spend two minutes writing as many values that come to mind and then circle the top three that genuinely resonate with you and your vision.”
• Figure out what groups or people you want to serve. How does supporting them align with your vision and purpose? “That may sound something like this: 'I support business owners to move beyond their personal plateaus by moving through their blocks and showing them their hidden
  strengths!'” says Perry.
• Finally, take each of these components and write it down in a statement. It may take a few tries to get it clear, concise, and focused. But once you refine it, it should give you a sense of direction and purpose on what you want to do with your life and career.

These steps also work if you already have a personal mission statement, and you need to refine or update it. Brush off what you wrote in the past and use the steps above to help you figure out where you’re headed for the future.

Simple steps like putting your mission statement as a screensaver on your phone can keep it at the forefront of your thinking. That helps you consciously implement it in practical ways, like choosing between two jobs or whether a position works for you. Compare it with your mission statement to see if the two align.

Being Inspired

You may still feel stumped thinking about what your personal mission statement can look like. Individuals and companies have statements to help guide them on a daily basis. These statements can not only be a blueprint for you but can inspire and motivate you to keep plugging away.

“So many people get stuck on a plateau and don’t know how to move forward. [I use] a mindset-first approach to support individuals and teams in tapping into their core motivations and strengths, freeing them from their blocks so they can soar past seven figures,” Perry says of her own personal mission statement.  Another mission statement she lauds is from Netflix. “I love this one because it’s so simple, yet perfect: 'To entertain the world.'”

Boxing champion Lennox Lewis showed what a mission statement looked like in action. His statement became the template for his career: “The mission I set out in the beginning—to become heavyweight champion of the world, undisputed, lineal champion—you could say that mission is complete."

Ultimately, jumpstarting and maintaining a fulfilling career hinges on finding work that you enjoy and that keeps you motivated. Your personal mission statement can help point you in the right direction.

“Creating your personal mission statement is like giving yourself a compass that always points to your true north. It guides you in everything—from career moves to personal relationships. Understanding your purpose gives you clarity on the impact you want to make, and reflecting on your values, passions, and strengths ensures your mission is authentically you,” Hostasa concludes.