Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

Create Your Personal Mission Statement

The New Year is right around the corner! What better way to welcome in 2023 than by creating your personal mission statement? A personal mission statement is a tool to discover your purpose in life, as well as a roadmap in your search for meaning.

“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”

- Victor Frankl

Getting Started

A Personal Mission Statement includes three parts; the Mission Statement, the Vision Statement, and your List of Values.

What is a Personal Mission Statement?

A Personal Mission Statement describes who you are and what you value.

Below are some questions that will help guide you in writing your Personal Mission Statement:

Who am I?
What am I all about?
How would I describe my best self?
What matters most to me?
What strengths do I have?
Who has served as a positive role model in my life and why did they have a significant impact on me?
What qualities do other people admire in me?
What unique gifts do I have?

What is a Vision Statement?

A Vision Statement describes who you are working to become and what are your hopes and dreams.

Below are some questions to help guide you in writing your Vision Statement:

What does success look like?
What does success feel like?
If I had unlimited resources, time, and money, what would I choose to do?
When I allow myself to dream, what do I see myself doing or accomplishing?
How do I want to grow?
What am I passionate about?
What do I want to experience in life?
Who do I enjoy spending time with?
What brings me joy?
What am I good at?
Of the current activities that I participate in, which provides the greatest value?
What things do I want to have in my life that I feel are important?
What legacy do I want to leave behind?
How do I want to be remembered?

What are your Values?

Below are some questions to help you discover the Values you want to guide your life.

What qualities and values are important to me?
What characteristics in others do I want to emulate?
What kind of person do I want to become?
Who has served as a positive role model in my life and what qualities would I like to emulate in them?
What qualities in others frustrate or disappoint me?

I would recommend scheduling 45 minutes on your calendar to create your Personal Mission Statement, Vision Statement, & List of Values.

This list does not need to be perfect. This is a living document that should be reviewed and updated as you grow.

A great day to review and update your Personal Mission Statement is New Year's Day. It's much more meaningful and lasting than New Year's Resolutions, yet has the same purpose for growth.

After creating your Personal Mission Statement, Vision Statement & List of Values, be sure to post them somewhere visible. These principles should guide your daily decisions and actions.

If you live with other family members, I would recommend also creating a Family Mission Statement, Family Vision Statement, and a List of Family Values.

Additional Resources

I highly recommend the book, "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl.

This book will inspire you, as well as help you find significance in your own life.

Learn more

I am also a big fan of the CliftonStrengths Assessment. You may want to take this assessment, prior to doing this exercise.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!

get started

A Note from Happy Spaces

The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:

Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.

We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.

Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®

Sincerely,

Sarah Weingarten

Meet Sarah

Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.

Create Your Personal Mission Statement