Why you need a mission statement

Hello all.

I know I missed a week, but I’ve been working on something in the background that I’m excited to launch in February, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

I don’t really have much else to say, so let’s get right into the meat of the issue today.

For so many years, I was really lost. I drifted around from thing to thing, with no goal. And it wasn’t even like I didn’t have any idea of where I wanted to be, it was that I didn’t know how to get there. All throughout high school I knew that I wanted to run my own business and be an entrepreneur. Social media definitely didn’t help that. Constantly having eyes on people who were much more successful than me, living a life that was seemingly free from all worries.

Working in beautiful places, eating the best food you could imagine, and driving the fastest cars on the planet. I knew that I wanted that kind of life for myself. But I couldn’t find the right path there.

Until very recently.

I was listening to Dan Koe’s podcast, and he laid out the most perfect vision for goal-making that I’ve ever heard.

He calls it the life story approach. 5 simple segments that help you determine where you’re going.

I thought about it for a while after listening, and I knew that it was the perfect way to sort out where I wanted to be, and how I was going to get there.

I wanted to get started right away. But I didn’t really know how to start approaching this “life story” of mine, since I’m only 22. I had absolutely no clue. So I talked with my mother about it. She loves writing and journaling, and so I figured that she might have some good advice.

She did. (Imagine that)

She suggested that I could only put together an accurate life story if I really knew what each section of my life was about. She mentioned that I should take each section of Dan Koe’s framework, and journal about each section, for 5 days each.

(Ex.) Section 1 once a day this week, section 2 each day the next week, and so on… (You get the idea)

And so I did.

Every day, I freewrote about that particular section of my life. Over and over again. It got tedious at times, but in the end, it paid off. When I looked back on what I had written over those collective weeks, each entry for each section was almost entirely different. They were all 100% unique, but all 100% true.

This is why my mother suggested that I tackle this challenge this way. She said that in the act of writing about the same section every day, I would get a more cohesive look at what each section of my life was about. That I would be able to approach every day’s journal entry with a fresh mind, and with fresh eyes to see things that I had missed in entries previous.

She was right again.

And what I uncovered as I started stitching together this framework, was a singular cohesive storyline of my life. I picked up on thought patterns that had followed me my entire life. (This is good) I saw the remnants of how those patterns STILL had an effect on my daily life now. This allowed me to look down at the horizon line of my life and see the goals that I have, and see some sort of pathway there.

Dan Koe’s framework paid off.

If I hadn’t had done this exercise, I don’t think that I would be headed in the direction that I am now.

And if you are anything like me, you might feel lost in your life. You probably have lofty goals that seem impossible to reach. Maybe they’re similar to mine in that you want a life lived well. Full of travel, and family, and making a handsome salary while you’re at it. Or maybe they are completely different. Maybe your thing is retreating to the woods. Living off the land, raising livestock, and having a small family. Or maybe you want to live alone in a lighthouse on a coastline somewhere.

Regardless, you have dreams and goals.

You don’t know how to get there.

This is why I strongly suggest that you write up what I’m calling a “personal mission statement.”

If you don’t know what a mission statement is, here’s the best way that I can put it:

“The reason for why you live your life the way that you do.”

Seems simple, and at its core, it is.

But if you go deeper and unpack what is really there, you’ll be able to find a wealth of information that will be invaluable to you as you progress through your life.

It will help guide you as you make decisions, build a business, or form relationships.

What I want to get at, is that having a personal mission statement isn’t just for the business people or entrepreneurs.

In fact, I might argue that it is more important for everyone ELSE to have a mission statement.

But in order to form a mission statement, you need to know the structure.

I’m going to break that down for you now.

Introduction

This is where it all starts. This is the core of who you are. As I’ve mentioned on Instagram, your experiences shape the type of person that you are. Those experiences in turn, will give you a unique perspective into the world that is worth sharing. This is the section to tell the tale of your life. Start from when you remember and work your way to the present. If you need some guidance, here are some questions that you can ask yourself as you write.

• Where did you start out?
• What struggles did you go through?
• What was the climax of your journey?
• What did you achieve that is desirable to others?
• What topics, interests, or skills helped you get there?

Section 1: Philosophy

Next, we move to the philosophy section. This is probably the most important section of the entire practice. This is no longer about who you have been. This is about who you will become in the future. This is about how you think it becomes possible to live a fulfilling life. This section can be tough, as it takes time to paint a picture of your future life, but it is also the most rewarding as this is the core of your mission statement. Again, since it’s a tougher section to take on, here are some questions you can ask yourself as you move through.

• Living the Good Life: Articulate your beliefs about how to live a fulfilling life.
• Describe your ideal future and lifestyle in detail.
• What goals are you leading your followers towards?
• What is the "enemy" or undesirable future you want to avoid?
• What beliefs do you hold that others might find extreme or offensive?
• What is the importance of each topic, interest, or skill you've learned?

Section 3: Practice

Now that you have one cohesive mission statement, it’s time to practice what you preach. This section of the mission statement is purely for you. This is something to come back and reflect on as much as you can. This is where the rubber meets the road to use a metaphor. Put your mission statement into action from this day forward by looking back on what you have written under this section. Here are some strategies.

• Write out step-by-step plans for your audience.
• Transform effective ideas into your own unique systems or products.
• Focus on behavior change as a driver of authority and recognition.

Section 4: Document

Lastly, this is the conclusion of the exercise.

This is the simplest part. Take what your mission statement, practice it every day, and then document your life as you live it according to your mission statement principles. This doesn’t just have to be for business purposes. Some people (me) will choose to document their principles on a social media platform in order to grow an audience, but you certainly don’t have to do that. Do what you like with this section. Journal it, put it in your diary, or write it on sticky notes. The entire purpose of this section is to leave behind some sort of paper trail as you grow throughout your life.

This allows you to make future changes to your mission statement as needed, which we’ll talk about a little bit more below.

Change

Change is good. Some might think that it’s not, but it is. (For certain things)

And the fact is, people grow. They follow one mission statement to its rightful end, and then start a new one. That is okay. Don’t feel tethered to the first edition of your mission statement.

Now, some things might stay the same if you choose to run this exercise in a few years. That is totally okay too. For the people who follow Jesus, for example, the long-term goals and values will probably not change. Love God, love his people. This is one of the things that will never change for me.

I’m specifically talking about the other things. The more “felt” things in your life. Things like “where do I want to be living in 30 years?” “What type of person do I want to be?” “How many kids do I want to have?”

These things can and probably will change as your character grows and strengthens throughout your life. This is good and natural. Let it happen.

To Conclude

Writing up a mission statement for myself has given me more than I could have imagined. It’s helped me organize my thoughts, think out a natural plan for my life, and start taking action on that plan.

I thought this was too valuable not to share, and I know that this exercise will help everyone who actually gives it a shot.

Share this with a friend or family member that you think could use it, and as always.

Much love.

Talk soon,

-H