My Personal Mission Statement
That little yellow note in the bottom left corner has been with me since 2009. It’s faded, the thrift store frame is barely holding itself together, and I’ve long since lost the glass. It’s traveled across an ocean and between way too many homes, always finding a special place in my office.
It’s my mission statement.
The first one I ever wrote. I was an early 20-something deep in the depths of depression, fighting to figure out who I was and what I was supposed to be doing with my life.
Having just discovered the world of personal development, I was trying to uncover my passions. I was learning about legacies and having a life of impact and came across the idea of a personal mission statement. I worked so hard to craft this little blurb, and while much has changed over the years, it still rings true:
“My mission is to use my mind and creativity—through businesses, art, writing, and leading by example—to teach and inspire personal responsibility and gratitude in others, along with the goal of becoming the best, happiest, and healthiest person they can possibly be.”
I wanted these things for myself as much as I wanted to teach them to others. To feel happy and whole. To be the most fully expressed and highest version of myself. To feel good and healthy and truly joyful. To know and live my purpose every day.
And while I might write a slightly different personal mission statement today, I’ve never replaced this one. I’ve never swapped out the old faded version for a new one either. It means too much to me as it is.
It reminds me of where I started, who I was, and who I’ve always wanted to become: all of myself, exactly as I’m meant to be.
What’s your mission statement?
And does it still ring true?
