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Many readers have heard of Steven Covey and his very popular book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. To Covey, a personal mission statement helps a person set a direction for what that person wants to do in his or her personal and professional life. Much like a business mission statement, “it focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.”¹

A personal mission statement will help you define your focus, which, in turn, will help you determine on what you most wish to spend your emotional, psychological, and financial resources. According to Covey, a personal mission statement will help you more effectively handle the changes that will constantly affect your life.

Creating a personal mission statement starts with allowing your innermost self to make you aware of what you most want in life—not just today, but in the future. It starts by determining the end you most desire, such as to own a successful design practice, to be the principal project designer at one of the top five design firms in the country, to have both a satisfying family and professional life, or anything else you can imagine.

Here is a brief example of a personal mission statement:

 To believe in myself and allow myself to try, to experiment, to experience, thus to learn.

 To strive each day to be willing to pay the price to achieve greater happiness, confidence, and spiritual growth.

 To do some work that benefits others and that is enjoyable to me.

 To treat others based on the principles that I hold as important.

It is a good idea to draft a personal mission statement before you continue reading this chapter. Think of what you want to be known for at the end of your career, or even your life. Consider the roles that you now play within your family, in your career (or potential career), with friends, and in the community at large. Determine your values—what makes you the person that you are. Make notes about the things, words, places, and activities that inspire or excite you. Then take some time away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life to write down a personal mission statement. It doesn't have to be structured like the example. Any format or length will do.

After reading this chapter, you might want to revise your statement, or you may find that it's fine as it is. Then again, nothing says that you can't rewrite your personal mission statement in a year or more. In fact, it is perfectly natural that it might change as the years go by. This is because new opportunities you can't envision today will possibly present themselves.