It’s one thing to make a New Year’s resolution. It’s another to keep it. So with the best of intentions, you may have already resolved that this is the year you lose weight, exercise more or do something that you’ve never done before. But would you stand a better chance of actually realizing your goals, if you first crafted a mission statement for yourself–akin to what a business would do?
New York Times writer Tara Parker-Pope explores the benefits and how to best go about writing your personal statement. .
Dr. Jack Groppel, co-founder of a coaching firm, Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Florida, explains why a mission statement is a good idea: “A resolution is a well-intended action plan, but because a person hasn’t really connected to the ‘why’ behind it, the old way of life, the chaos, comes back into play and they can’t really sustain it.”
Dr. Groppel was involved in creating the “Corporate Athlete” program, which employs the kind of techniques used by skilled athletes looking to excel professionally and personally. Those same techniques can assist anyone looking to better understand “why” they want to make a change. For example, if you are trying to get in shape, focus on why it’s important to you and how it will improve your overall satisfaction and well-being.
The Corporate Athlete course suggests that you take the time to reflect on questions like: “Who or what matters most to you? ” Or think about, “what makes your life really worth living?” Then write your mission statement with the answers in mind.
Tara Parker-Pope had this reaction after completing the Corporate Athlete Training program: “Forcing myself to focus on my values and how I define success was a surprisingly enlightening experience.” After becoming aware that she often focuses more on others than her own well-being, she came up with this mission statement to guide her: “My ultimate mission is to live a present, disciplined life, in which I take care of myself in order to achieve my larger goals.” Of course, as she says, once you create your mission statement, the next step is identifying and removing “obstacles” that prevent you from achieving your goals.
How will you go about creating your own road map to success? Share Your Story with us!
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