Writing your personal mission statement

Mission statements are forward looking. Neil Armstrong didn’t go to the moon and then declare Apollo 11’s mission. He started training years before blast off with a goal in mind.

Life is the same way.

When Neil Armstrong, one of my childhood heroes, joined the Apollo program he knew his mission was to reach the moon. When he reached his goal he said “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” instead of “holy crap, Buzz. I think we’re on a moon mission.” You can’t say “mission accomplished” without first saying “we have lift off.”

What is your mission in life? What is your purpose? At some point, we all ponder life’s meaning. At some point, everyone wonders why we are here and what we are supposed to do next.

Your mission, your purpose, is bigger than your past. Maybe you have done great things in the past and maybe you have made some big mistakes. Neither of them should define you. What you do today sets the stage for what you can do tomorrow. God’s plan requires action on your part. If you want to get a degree, you have to enroll in college first. If you want a new job, you start with typing a resume. Have faith. Take a step forward.

What if you had to write a mission statement for your life? Would it be a vague bunch of gibberish like an objective on a resume? No one wants to be a vague bunch of gibberish, so why say that is your goal?

Take a moment today and write down a list of your dreams. Your primary purpose in life is to serve God. Keep that in mind. Also, keep in mind that your mission is measured on a sliding scale. You never stop serving God. Each day is a new opportunity, a new decision, and new challenge. If you build on that approach, you may find that your dreams are not as far out of reach as they once appeared. You will definitely find that your past takes on a whole new perspective.

The saddest thing in life is the limiting belief that we are defined by our past. Your mission begins brand new every day. What will you accomplish for God tomorrow? Training starts now.