Why create a personal mission statement?

I would ask, why not?

How will you know where your life is going without one? It would be like playing a game of soccer without a goal, a game of basketball without a hoop, or a game of football without an end zone. The players would have no purpose or reason to play the game; they would be directionless and lack the motivation to play.

You know precisely why you should have one if you have a mission statement. It provides meaning and purposes, creates clarity for your life, and makes living so much more enjoyable.

If you haven’t created one, then you’ll keep moving through life as if in a trance, doing what is expected of you and dutifully doing the things that make others more successful. Most will say they are successful themselves; they will earn good money, live in a lovely house, and drive a nice car. In the big scheme of things, there is nothing wrong with this life. After all, this is the American dream.

I want to challenge our thinking for a moment.

Think of all the things you dreamed of doing when you were a kid or those things you daydream about when you have the time to drift off. If you had the chance to do anything and knew you could not fail, you even have all the resources to accomplish your dream; what would you do? Are there things you would build, music or art you would create, or is there a problem in the world you would want to fix?

I am positive that most people today are not living out their dreams. I know you have responsibilities to take care of, you have bills to pay, and a family to support. “There is no way we can all jump into our dreams and fly off to never-never land,” I hear you say, or is that just my wife?

I started with a question about your personal mission statement. If you were to write one, would it be about your current day job, or would it have an element of your dreams and desires? How much more meaning would your life have if you could add an element of your dreams into your daily life? Is there a way you could pay the bills, support your family, and still walk the path of your mission?

Mine: Tony Everett wants to overcome the chaos and confusion created from career and life transitions. He wants to help people create clarity and meaning and live an epic life.

I left school at 17 to join the Royal Navy, served for six years, and then became a salesman. I have sold all sorts of things moving from job to job every 3-6 years. I never had a purpose, never believed in myself, and always drifted through life doing what I thought others expected of me.

Eighteen years ago, I was asked that same question I asked you a couple of paragraphs earlier. My answer was to start a youth sports program that helped young people learn critical life skills to help them thrive. It didn’t happen overnight. I was working my day job while launching the PureGame program, which is now 14 years old! Running a company taught me that I could, so I launched another career as a transition coach for athletes. My mission is to use my gift of making people feel comfortable and connecting with them to show them they have what it takes.

I have found my purpose, I have my mission statement, I have meaning, and I am living an epic life. You can do the same.

To get some help with your mission statement click here to schedule a "get to know you" call. I would be happy to be a sounding board for your ideas and dreams