Creating a Mission
We begin by reflecting on what we value in life, and developing a mission statement based on these values. (If you don’t like the term "mission statement," you could call it a "life-plan," a "personal constitution," or a "statement of goals and principles.") Whatever term we use, it will include the long-term goals that we want to achieve, and the virtues that we want to embody.
To create a mission statement you might begin by reflecting on the different areas in your life. For example, you might think of your life in terms of "Personal Life," "Close Relationships," "Work," and "Community." Each of these areas might include many roles. For example, your "Personal "Life” area might include “Health” (eating well, exercising, and getting regular medical care), “Lifelong Learning,” etc. Your “Close Relationship” category, might include your roles as a child, partner/spouse, parent, close friend, etc. You can divide and define these life areas and roles in a way that makes sense to you, then think about your long-term goals for each area/role.
Your mission statements should also include “virtues,” which are the positive qualities that you would like to embody. Some examples include: integrity, compassion, reason, optimism, hope, joy, tolerance, and love. (If you don’t like the word “virtues" you could call them "values," "principles," "positive traits," or "good qualities.") Virtues and goals are closely related because virtues are essential for achieving goals. For example, the virtues of integrity, compassion, and tolerance could help you to achieve the goal of “being a good friend.”
It’s good to spend time working on your mission statement, but it’s also important to get a “working draft” on paper fairly soon, so that you can begin to practice in your daily life. Refining our mission statements is an ongoing process, and you can work on revising it as you go along.