How to Create Meaningful Personal Vision and Mission Statements

Tools and plans to create effective personal vision statement

Introduction

 

Business is a human activity requiring communications with others. Like businesses, you should have your own personal vision and mission statements which you can articulate. These statements will help define who you are and your values. They will help enable you to overcome life’s tough times. As a decision-maker, they also reflect your values.

 

There is a lot of confusion between vision statements, mission statements and purpose statement. Examples are one of the best ways of showing the differences:
  • Vision statements is why you are doing things. It should be outside your immediate goals.
    • My vision is to see a the world free and at peace.
    • My vision is to aid those afflicted by natural disasters.
  • Mission statements are how you plan to accomplish your vision.
    • My mission is to fight to free the world of tyranny.
    • My mission is to get that sale using my experience and understanding of the client.
  • Purpose statements are a combination of vision and mission statements.
    • My purose is to free the world of tyranny by electing democratic governments.

Using mountain climbing as a simple example, your vision is what you will be able to see from the summit. Your mission is how you plan to reach the top.

Vision statements express the goals that you want to achieve without worrying about how you get there. Mission statements express how you will accomplish your goals.
There is another important distinction between the two:
  • Your vision usually remains the same over time. If it changes, it is to expand or focus your vision/goal.
  • Your mission will need to change over time to meet changing conditions.
While purpose statements combine vision and mission, they blur the distinction between why you are doing something and how you plan to accomplish something resulting. Changing a purpose implies changing the vision.

 

Lastly, the combination of the vision and mission statements are part of your long term strategy to survive and grow.

 

 

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