Should Everyone Have a Life Vision Statement?
Many personal growth and productivity teachers and courses assume that everyone should have a life mission statement that unifies all of their goals and actions throughout their entire life. I understand the ideal concept. If we could identify the unitary mission of our entire life, then we would have a criterion to make our decisions and choose our actions. As every option came up, we could ask, “Does this fit my life mission?”
However, where did this idea originate that everyone should have a life vision statement for their entire life? What’s the basis for this assumption? Who says everyone needs or has a life mission?
Often when I’ve attended a spiritual or business retreat or online productivity course, one of the exercises is to make a list of your values. Next, the goal is to write a “life vision” or “life mission” statement that is the overarching mission of your entire life.
The last productivity course I participated in had us circle our values from a list of values. Next, we were to pick the top two and use those to write a life mission statement.
In my experience, this approach frequently results in people picking nice-sounding generic vision statements that are so broad, esoteric, and nebulous that they have no real practical use. My suspicion is that they’re forced to pick a mission statement that is so general and broad because they’re aware that their interests and goals change during their lives.
In one group I participated in, one person decided her overarching life vision was, “to be loving.” While that sounds admirable, how is “to be loving” practical when deciding what actions to take on routine responsibilities or work, where relationships with other people are not involved? I think that for a life mission statement to truly be an overarching value, it must be applicable in all situations.
A Life Mission Statement Doesn’t Work for Me
I’ve been through the typical exercise several times, and it never worked for me. I almost felt guilty because I couldn’t come up with one life mission. I wondered if something was wrong with me.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the life mission ideal is realistic for the way most people live their lives. It sounds wonderful in theory, but it doesn’t work for most people in practice.
The reason I can’t have one overarching life vision statement is that my life vision/mission statement regularly changes as I grow and develop in different ways, and interact with the different roles in my life. I’m lucky to have a quarterly or yearly vision statement, let alone one that covers my entire life span!
Maybe some people can have a life mission statement that stays the same their entire lives, but I’m not wired that way. I’ve had and will continue to have, multiple and changing life mission statements as my interests and priorities change over my life.
Instead of One Overarching Life Mission, I Have Many
I don’t think it’s possible for me to have a life vision/mission statement that breaks everything down into one statement. Even during the same time, I have many life missions.
I have one vision for my role as a husband, another for my role as a parent, and another for my role as a creator. My visions and missions differ according to the different roles that I have. The missions change as the roles change. One unitary vision statement just doesn’t fit my life.
It’s an impossible task for me to try to find one overarching life mission that is a practical guiding principle for all of my changing roles and interests. It’s much more functional and realistic for me to be aware of the different roles in my life and what’s important to me (values) at any given time. My action items arise out of those contexts.
To keep up with these changes and act appropriately, I need to clearly identify the roles in my life and form a clear vision or mission statement for each of these roles. Then, I need a constant process of review and revision to keep up with the changes in my roles.
For me, the system that has worked to help me define my many life missions is the life roles identification and evaluation process developed by David Sparks. I combine that with a brief weekly review of my roles to remind me of my missions and see how I’m doing in each. In addition, I do more intensive bi-annual review and planning sessions to stay on track.
The result of this process is that I have clearly defined life mission statements for each of the roles in my life. This gives direction to my actions and helps me to live intentionally in attempting to live up to those vision statements.
Do What Works for You
If it doesn’t work for you to have an overarching life mission statement, that’s fine. Don’t feel guilty or keep knocking your head against the life mission wall because some productivity guru says it’s necessary. It’s OK to say “no, thank you” when others try to pressure you to conform to their ideal of a life mission statement.
Find a system that helps you to define what the tentative mission statements are for your life. Use some kind of review process to remind yourself of what you’re intending to do and be. Periodically review your definitions and revise them in response to changes in your life.
If you do have an overarching life mission statement that you feel gives practical direction and intention to you through all the seasons of your life, good for you! If that works for you, you don’t need to change it.