A Promise to Yourself

by Sparkle Abbey

Each January our agent asks us for a business and marketing plan for that year. We don’t exactly look forward to it, but we are goal setting, planning kind of women, so we don’t mind. Part of our business plan includes an author mission statement. That’s not unusual. Every business should have a mission statement, and being a published author is running a business. We have goals and objectives, we need to know our target audience, and we need to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Makes sense.

But what about a personal mission statement—one that guides our actions, behaviors, and the way we treat others? A description that defines who we are and puts our dreams into words.

A personal mission statement takes honest introspection. You have to know what brings you joy, and causes you sorrow. You have to take an accounting of your strengths—and your weaknesses—a critical observation of your behaviors and patterns. The kind of statement we’re talking about brings focus and purpose to your life. Think of it as a promise to yourself.

Here are personal mission statements from two very successful women:

Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company

“To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.”

Oprah Winfrey, Founder of OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network

“To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.”

What if everyone had a personal mission statement? A positive sense of purpose? We could change the world.

What about you? Do you have a personal mission statement?

If not and you want to create one, but have no idea where to start, check out Time Thoughts. Not only do they provide great tips and guidelines, they also have a number of sentence templates that you might find helpful as a jumping off point. Keep in mind, your personal mission statement isn't static. It can change and grow as you discover new things about yourself and enter new seasons in your life. 

Leave a comment and inspire us with your personal mission statements! We’ll start with one of ours: “To live life fully and honestly. To be kind and compassionate to those around me. To always chose joy.”

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets--Sparkle (Mary Lee's cat) and Abbey (Anita's dog). If you want to make sure you're up on all the Sparkle Abbey news, stop by their website and sign up for updates at sparkleabbey.com.