Why You Need A Personal Mission Statement

A thoughtful, well-written personal mission statement becomes your individual definition of success — and the compass for your career.

Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash

You likely have a company mission statement, a short declaration of your organization’s purpose. Tesla’s mission statement, for example, is “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” For Google, it’s: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

A corporate mission statement is useful because it describes a business’s reason for existence and rallies your team around a shared goal and vision. It can also inspire customers to choose your company over competitors. Consider this: U.S. consumers are over 80% more likely to have a positive image of, trust in, and be loyal to brands that lead with purpose.

While it’s clear that mission statements deliver value at the business level, it’s also crucial to use them as a tool in your day-to-day leadership and career development. A personal mission statement is much like a corporate mission statement: it’s a code of conduct that defines your convictions, what you stand for, and how to lead in a way that embodies your values.