Without intentional time management, it can feel like emails, meetings, and requests already overtake your work!
So, here’s a friendly nudge to craft a personal mission statement. It may sound lofty, but it is a practical time management tool. Research confirms that time management supports better performance, lower stress, and higher job satisfaction.
At its core, time management is decision management. It’s how you choose to allocate your time and energy. A personal mission statement helps with those decisions, especially when things get busy.
As Maya Angelou put it:
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.”
In an ideal world, you might invest many hours reflecting on:
- What brings you energy
- Your values
- The legacy you’d like to leave
- Your five, ten or even twenty-year life goals.
If that feels manageable, wonderful. Please do it!
But for most busy professionals, I recommend starting smaller.
Begin by crafting a short mission statement focused on your work. Here’s an example:
I lead with integrity and kindness. I coach and develop my team, and I value progress and high standards. It is important to me that my team feel safe, supported, and clear about what’s expected. Together, we deliver results that matter.
Research irrefutably shows that people with a clearly-defined vision are more likely to achieve it.
Gen AI can help. Try this prompt.
Write a short personal mission statement relating to my work. Use clear, simple language and keep it around 75 words, with a professional, inspiring, and results-focused tone. My work title is: [insert] The aspects of my work I find enjoyable and energising are: [insert] I want to be known for: [insert] It is important to me that my work enables: [insert]
As you craft your mission statement:
- Make it yours (there’s no right or wrong)
- Refine it until it feels energising and genuinely inspiring
- Use clear language (bonus if you can memorise it)
- Read it most days
- Use it to prioritise and guide how you allocate your time.
You don’t need a perfect mission statement this week, just a starting point.
Happy mission statement crafting,
Wendy
P.S. Managers, invite your team to draft their own personal mission statements. Then ask them to link it to their quarterly goals. This helps people see how their work aligns with their values.
