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Your personal mission statement defines who you are and what values and goals are most important. Consider it the guiding principle for most life decisions. Use these helpful tips to learn how to craft a thoughtful statement.

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What is a Personal Mission Statement?

An effective personal mission statement helps you prioritize the values, goals and desired impact to help you make thoughtful decisions, aligning your actions with your passion and sense of purpose.

Why do you need this statement? The personal reflection needed to create a personal mission statement acts like a guiding framework — a deeper understanding of your values will help you with goal-setting, career planning, embracing change, and measuring opportunities.

How to create a personal mission statement?

To help yourself write a meaningful statement, consider the following core topics:

  • What: Carefully consider your skills and abilities. What do you like to do? What projects inspire pride? Find the common thread — this will help you find what matters most to you.
  • Why: Whether it is academics, volunteering, full-time jobs or socializing, most people find happiness through rewarding work. Learning what matters most to you and defining it with your personal mission statement will help you find the most personally satisfying settings.
  • Where: Once you identify the skills and personality traits that inspire and motivate you, you can use them to determine where you can effectively apply yourself. Your natural talents will drive your choice of study, career, hobbies and more.

Free personal mission statement template:

Use the following template as a starting guide and read on to find additional advice and personal mission statement examples.

“Driven by [value/principle], I aspire to [action/goal] for [noun]. Through [strength/skill], I aim to [personal or external goal] to help influence [value/principle/noun].”

After you identify your goals, use a Resume Builder to help create a resume to apply for jobs that align with your personal mission statement.

How to Write a Personal Mission Statement

Writing a personal mission statement begins with identifying your core values, passions and long-term goals to guide your decision making. It will evolve as you learn, grow and experience new environments.

A personal mission statement can be a practical roadmap to meaningful decisions if you frequently check in with yourself and evaluate your needs. Let’s learn how to write effective mission statements with these five rules.

1. Identify your values or goals

To identify your core values and goals, reflect on experiences that fulfilled you. What inspired you as a child? What projects motivated you at school? Did you like working with groups, or did you prefer independent projects? Learning what environments and assignments excite you can help narrow the types of studies and working styles that motivate you. Use energetic action verbs and power words to inspire and describe yourself.

Personal mission statement example:

“As someone who grew up in a boisterous, collaborative neighborhood, I aim to work with community-oriented companies and nonprofits. I want to help build and restore third places in cities, especially cities dealing with urban blight and modern flight.”

2. Focus on who or what you want to impact

Once you identify your personal strengths, find out who you want to help or work with. Marginalized communities? Children? New parents? Everyone? Finding out what causes matter to you will help you decide your future steps.

Personal mission statement sample:

“My mission is to empower marginalized communities affected by redlining. Through advocacy, education and access to legal and financial resources, I strive to foster economic empowerment, social justice and sustainable change by dismantling systemic barriers.”

3. Highlight related accomplishments, skills or actions

When writing your personal mission statement, emphasize relevant achievements or skills that helped you identify your core values or goals. Work experiences where you made meaningful contributions or learned where your strengths lie help you identify meaningful life and career paths.

Personal mission statement example:

“Despite struggling in school, my recent success in trigonometry and its practical applications inspired me to integrate mathematical precision and architectural design. By merging my passion for structure, I aim to create innovative building plans that harmonize with nature, encourage social interaction and foster sustainable futures for the next generation.”

4. Add the end goal

When writing a personal mission statement, consider the people, communities or causes influencing or inspiring you to contribute. Think back to the passions, strengths, skills and values you identified earlier to find out where you can make a meaningful impact.

Personal mission statement sample:

“As a former tutor, I aim to empower students to unlock their full potential. By gaining my education degree, I aspire to foster student mentorship and advocacy, cultivate resilience, adapt to individual needs and inspire a legacy of progress for at-risk youth.”

5. Tailor it to the occasion

Although your mission statement is a personal guideline, you can still tailor it to specific opportunities like college or job applications. See if your values align with a college’s or company’s mission statements. Focus on relevant experiences to analyze a college program or company product — this can help you decide if it’s an organic fit or if you’ll be unhappy there.

Personal mission statement example:

“Growing up, I loved playing with Legos and testing the strength of various configurations. I hope to merge my passion for construction with a dedication to excellence, safety and customer satisfaction.”

10 Personal Mission Statement Examples

Use these free personal mission statement examples to help back your values and goals with actionable end goals. You can also visit our resume objective and summary statement pages to learn how to adapt your personal statements for professional opportunities.

  • Personal mission and vision statement example: “My mission is to inspire creativity and curiosity in young minds through community service projects. By fostering a supportive volunteer environment grounded in respect and empathy, I aim to empower young generations to support their neighbors and hometowns.”

  • Entry-level personal statement sample: “As a dedicated individual with strong interpersonal skills, I’d love to provide exceptional customer service experiences. With an interest in social problem-solving and communication skills, I aim to exceed customer expectations, build positive relationships and contribute to my team’s success.”

  • Management personal mission statement: “With a passion for culinary excellence and customer satisfaction, my mission as a food service manager is to be an effective leader and mentor. I’ll drive operation success through effective team management, strategic planning and quality assurance.”

  • Personal mission statement example for leaders: My mission is to inspire and empower team members through clear communication, mentorship and collaboration. I strive to foster a culture of innovation, accountability and continuous improvement to drive team success and organizational growth.”

  • Resume personal statement: “As an IT associate, I aim to leverage my technical knowledge and critical thinking skills to provide reliable support. I aim to optimize IT systems and repair requests to support organizational success.”

  • Personal mission statement examples for students: “As an aspiring biology student specializing in mycology, I aim to deepen my understanding and appreciation for fungal diversity and learn more about its ecological importance. I aim to advance environmental and medical knowledge through rigorous research and experimentation while promoting conservation efforts.”

  • Undergrad’s personal statement for college: “Driven by a passion for the arts and cultural preservation, my mission is to celebrate and safeguard cultural heritage. Through education, preservation efforts, and artistic expression, I aim to ensure that diverse cultural traditions endure for future generations.”

  • Personal statement for graduate school sample: “Inspired by a passion for entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, my mission is to support small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. By pursuing a business degree from a notable program, I aim to establish economically resilient business plans and create resourceful pathways to success.”

  • Law school personal statement example: “With a commitment to justice and human rights, my mission is to advocate for the legal rights and dignities of underserved populations. I seek to create a more vocal and just society through legal advocacy, policy reform, and protecting community organizers.”

  • Medical school personal statement example: “My mission is to promote health and wellness in underserved communities by providing access to quality health care. I hope to advocate preventative measures and foster community partnerships to help establish trust and reduce financial and social disparities.”

Key Takeaways

Your personal mission statement can help you make professional choices that align with your life goals and values. The best personal mission statements are:
  • A short two to three sentences.
  • Specific about goals or crucial strengths.
  • Include clear actions.
  • Provide decision-making direction.
  • Foster personal growth and fulfillment.

Personal Mission Statement FAQ

What are the three parts of a personal mission statement?

A personal mission statement includes three pieces of information:

  1. Declaration of your core values or beliefs.
  2. Description of your long-term goals or objections.
  3. Your action plan to meet these goals.

What is a personal mission statement 7 habits?

Stephen Covey, author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” suggests seven guidelines to maximize your mission statement.

  1. Being proactive.
  2. Beginning with an end goal.
  3. Prioritizing important goals.
  4. Aiming for win-win solutions.
  5. Pausing to understand.
  6. Leveraging everyone’s key strengths and differences.
  7. Taking personal time to re-energize.

Is a personal statement similar to elevator pitches?

No. A personal mission statement is an internal tool that helps you make practical decisions about your education and career. An elevator pitch is an introduction that helps you professionally network or impress potential employers.

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