Take a “Word-Selfie”
With this week’s topic, we’re asking you to really go deep and discover what makes you YOU by creating a personal mission statement. In just a few words, this statement explains who you are, identifies what is most important to you, and serves as a guide map for where you want to go in life.
You might think of it as a “word-selfie” … a snapshot that shows the authentic YOU in a single sentence. And you can share that snapshot with the world, or just use it as a personal reference to keep you focused.
For me, this includes describing myself in terms of my values and goals to let others know that I am more than just a caregiver. I am an individual with hopes, dreams, and promise!
To get started on creating your own personal mission statement, try answering the following questions: What is important to you? What does a good day look like? Where do you want to go? What does “the best” look like for you? How do others describe you? How do you want to act? What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
You may also want to consider drafting a longer statement that gets to the heart of what you are all about – a personal manifesto. As noted in our new friend Elizabeths' Happy Healthy Caregiver blog, “A manifesto is a published or public declaration of intentions, core beliefs, motives or views.” You may want to check out these other examples for some inspiration:
We’ve been working on a "Courageous Caregiver Manifesto" at Courage to Caregivers - let me know what you think! We hope this manifesto will help caregivers gain inspiration, focus, and courage to continue making progress on their journey of personal growth. This stems from our own mission statement – to provide hope, support, and courage to caregivers and loved ones of those living with mental illness – which anchors all that we do.
Creating a mission statement and/or manifesto can provide you with a better understanding of your values and goals, help you recognize your worth as an individual, and lead to stronger connections with others who share similar values and goals. But the greatest benefit of all may be that it allows you to dream BIG and to be YOU.