Moms on a Mission

Think of companies, causes, or organizations you admire. What is it about those groups that stand out? What do they have in common? While they may have a number of similarities, chances are they all have mission statements. Do you have one? Probably not- we don’t usually think about the idea of having a personal mission statement. However, I work with athletes to create individualized mission statements to capture who they are and what drives them to play and perform. Mission statements help to energize, drive and motivate. Why not create one for you as a mom (or in any role you fill).

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Consider how a mission statement may help bring clarity and motivation to any aspect of life or performance. A mission statement is a statement of purpose that captures not only what drives an individual, team or group, but also reflects what that individual or group stands for. If you were to be clear on your mission as a mom, how might that effect your day? Would it give you more focus? Allow you to have more intent with your choices? Help keep your priorities clear?

Interested in creating a mission statement but not sure where to begin? Follow these steps:

1. Write down answers to the following questions:

• Why am I a mom?
• What do I love or enjoy about this role?
• What makes me unique as a mom? (And possibly, what makes our family unique?)
• What are my strengths and positive qualities?
• What keeps me coming back for more?
• Any other questions you want to create that help tap into the passion and drive that you have for being a mom.

** If you’re trying to complete this at a time where being a mom feels hard, and you feel very far from that passion, try to remember the times in the past where you felt positive and were clear on what drives you as a mom. You can also reflect on who you want to be as a mom if you’re not there yet.

2. Once you see all of the answers from the above questions, you may want to group similar ideas    together such as family and support or happiness, joy and smiles.

3. After you’ve organized your initial brainstorm, decide on 3-4 of the most important ideas- which ones truly capture who you are and what makes you passionate.

4. Create possible mission statements, looking at how you can combine the words and ideas. You may want to interchange some of the words that you grouped together in step 4. This step may lead several options for the mission statement. Give yourself time to think about which ones feel most powerful and meaningful. You don’t have to complete this in one hour or even one day.

5. Once you’ve settled on a statement, try it out for a week or so to make sure it captures what drives you. You can adjust it if needed. Consider the ways in which you can utilize your mission statement to ignite passion and power within you:

• Repeat it at the start of each day
• Make it the wallpaper on your phone
• Create an bookmark if you love to read
• Make poster and put it where you can see it. Think about having your kids help you decorate it.
• Include it in your salutation for all email communication

Though this will take time, you may find that you are clearer on why you are a mom and what you love about it, allowing you to focus more on those aspects rather than the challenges you face. Consider creating a family mission statement as well using the following steps.

Anyone want to share their mission statement or how they’ve used it?