A life vision is a written statement that reflects an individual’s values, beliefs, and aspirations. It provides a clear and inspiring picture of what they want their life to be like and outlines their goals, dreams, and objectives for different aspects of their life, such as career, relationships, personal growth, health, and societal contribution.
There are several benefits of having a life vision. It helps individuals maintain focus and motivation, providing a sense of purpose and direction. A clear vision can facilitate better decision-making and enable them to take action steps aligned with their goals, saving time and energy to focus on what truly matters.
Creating a life vision statement can be a powerful exercise that helps clarify goals and aspirations. It can also help identify obstacles preventing individuals from achieving them and develop strategies to overcome them.
While a life vision focuses on creating a clear and inspiring picture of what one desires one’s life to be like, a life mission is a personal and unique goal or purpose that drives one’s life. This goal or purpose is based on individual values, beliefs, skills, interests, passions, and experiences. It aims to impact the world and the people around them positively.
Having a life mission is essential as it can provide direction, motivation, and a sense of fulfillment in one’s life. In addition, it can help with prioritizing time and resources while making decisions that align with long-term goals. Ultimately, a life mission should inspire and drive individuals to be their best selves and achieve their most significant potential while making the most impact.
Five steps for creating personal mission statements:
Step 1: Identify Past Successes
Identify four or five recent personal successes, such as work achievements, community contributions, or home accomplishments.
Step 2: Identify Core Values
Create a list describing your personality and priorities. List all possible attributes, then narrow the values to the top five or six. Finally, select the most important value.
Step 3: Identify Contributions
List ways to contribute (how to make a difference) to family, employer, friends, community, and the world.
Step 4: Identify Goals
Reflect on priorities and personal goals. Identify short-term (up to three years) and long-term (beyond three years) goals.
Step 5: Write Mission Statement
Craft a mission statement by reflecting on identity and values based on the first four steps.
In summary, a clear life vision and a life mission can help individuals create a purposeful and fulfilling life. By focusing on what matters most and aligning one’s actions with one’s goals and values, one can achieve their desired outcomes and positively impact the world around them.