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in life? This exercise is designed to access the values and principles that guide
your life.
3. Imagine that it is your 70th birthday (or another milestone in your life).
You have been asked by national print media to write a press release about your

achievements. Consider what you would want your family, friends, coworkers in
your profession and in your community to say about you. What difference would
you like to have made in their lives? How do you want to be remembered? This is
designed to inventory your actions and accomplishments in all areas of your life.
Part II
Review your notes for these three exercises. With those responses in mind,
reflect on questions 1, 2, and 3 above. Then write a rough draft (a page of any length)
of your mission statement. Remember that it should describe what you want to do and
who you want to be. This is not a job description. Carry it with you, post copies in
visible places at home and work, and revise and evaluate. Be patient with yourself.
The process is as important as the outcome. After a few weeks, write another draft.
Ask yourself whether your statement was based on proven principles that you believe
in, if you feel direction, motivation, and inspiration when you read it. Over time,
reviewing and evaluating will keep you abreast of your own development.
Step 4: Identify Goals. Spend some time thinking about your priorities in life
and the goals you have for yourself. Make a list of your personal goals, perhaps in the
short term (up to three years) and the long term (beyond three years).
Step 5: Write Mission and Vision Statements. On the basis of the first four
steps and a better understanding of yourself, begin writing your personal mission and
vision statements.
Final thoughts: A personal mission and vision statement is, of course, personal.
But if you want to see whether you have been honest in developing your personal
mission and vision statement, we suggest sharing the results of this process with one
or more people who are close to you. Ask for their feedback. Finally, remember that
mission and vision statements are not meant to be written once and blasted into stone.
You should set aside some time annually to review your career, job, goals, and
mission and vision statements—and make adjustments as necessary.
KEY TAKEAWAY
In this section, you learned how to think of mission and vision in terms
of your personal circumstances, whether it is your career or other aspects of
your life. Just as you might do in developing an organization’s vision
statement, you were encouraged to think of a big, hairy audacious goal as a
starting point. You also learned a five-step process for developing a personal
vision statement.
EXERCISES
1. How does a personal mission and vision statement differ from one
created for an organization?
2. What time period should a personal mission and vision statement
cover?
3. What are the five steps for creating a personal mission and vision
statement?

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