Figuring out your vision statement starts with the heart of who you are.
Someone told me recently that most people know what their life’s mission statement is. This kind of shocked me because I’ve never actually figured mine out. I mean, I know in general that I want my life to honor God and matter, but the details of this honoring and mattering have not been thought thoroughly through.
Yikes!
Is that true? Are most people walking around with a mission statement in their back pocket and their eye on the prize? What have I been doing?!
My research into formulating said mission statement has been kind of enlightening. I actually got started on this road because I heard somewhere we should write down our “Guiding Principles” to know how to handle stuff as it comes up. As I researched guiding principles, I found out I needed to have defined my core values. As I looked into developing my core values, I discovered I needed to have a mission statement, and that’s not even the starting place. The starting place is a vision statement.
Good grief.
Now, this is mostly business stuff, but I’m in a business, aren’t I? Writing is my business. Besides, I really do believe that one of the biggest causes of failure (in just about anything) is a lack of thinking it through. All this principle, value, mission, vision stuff is my attempt to think through what I’m doing here- why I’m here.
Click the picture to read more about developing your own vision statement.
So, I guess I need to start with the vision statement. Evidently, the vision statement is supposed to stretch boundaries and comfort zones and enable me to have a sense of what could be. I might need to pray about this.
Speaking of prayer, what does any of this actually have to do with God? One could say it’s all just some guy’s idea of how to get from point A to Point B. What does he know? Perhaps napping, watching TV, and waiting around for something to happen is the way to go. Maybe not thinking about it too much is just fine. I can go with the flow. Take it as it comes. I could do that and probably even put a spiritual spin on it.
But then I wonder … maybe it wouldn’t hurt to do a little bit of planning and thinking and defining, especially if the whole point of the process is to make something of this life that I’m living. I’ve been thinking most people look back from their deathbed with regrets. Regrets are just a fact of life, but maybe not. Maybe there won’t be any regrets when we cross that threshold from this life to the next. There will just be us holding up our hands and saying, “Look what I made for you.”
I think that would be good. Maybe I’ll put that in my vision statement.
Do you have a vision statement or a mission statement? Would you share it? Examples can be helpful!
I’ve been thinking about this too, thinking about my purpose. I feel like my purpose is to share with others hope and beauty – the hope found in God and the beauty of His creation.
Oh, I can see both of those things in you! Your photography speaks so well of beauty, and your life testifies to hope. Thank you for sharing.
Oh, thank you so much! You just made my day 🙂
My vision statement has changed over the years. When I worked fulltime, I was surrounded by people of many faiths – or none at all. My desire was to speak Jesus to those around me. It sounds kind of broad but it guided my actions and words every day. On a rare – far too rare -occasion, a comment would let me know that someone noticed. It was pure joy!
Now I’m at home, struggling to write what God gives me. You prompt me that I need to think about God’s purpose for me in this time. Thank you!
Thank you Sherry! You’ve encouraged me to be more proactive and intentional at my day job! I sometimes forget that people are watching. Thanks!
Great post! Thanks!
[…] I’m finding my longed for epiphany to be elusive and empty. My purpose, my calling, my vision statement — they all still seem to be just catchy ideas and phrases I’ve come […]