What is a Personal Mission Statement? Understanding Your “Why”

Your why is what separates a career from a calling. With a personal mission statement, you can start building a purpose-driven career.

“Why did I choose this career?” is one of the most common questions we ask ourselves when reflecting on our current progress. For those who serve in mission-oriented non-profits or organizations, the answer may be clear. But for a lot of us, our answers to this question can be harder to articulate.

Today’s workforce struggles with disengagement at work. Research shows that while overall employee engagement marginally increased in Q2, only 32% of employees report feeling fully engaged with their work. Personal mission statements can help mitigate feelings of detachment from work by creating a clear vision of the future and setting parameters for career decisions.

Defining a Personal Mission Statement

In the context of your profession, a personal mission statement is a brief statement that outlines your goals for your career. It describes (1) how your personal values relate to your work and (2) what your desired impact looks like. An effective mission statement is concise, actionable, and authentic to your passions.

These statements provide essential guidance for evaluating career opportunities. Try writing down your personal mission statement using the exercise below.

Exercise: Writing Down Your "Why"

Here is a quick template to help you craft your mission statement. Start by outlining these four key sections:

1. Issue or Cause: Identify an issue or cause that resonates with you, such as a social, environmental, economic, or health-related initiative.
2. Action: Contemplate which actions or job responsibilities relate to your chosen cause.
3. Impact: Describe the desired result of your efforts.
4. Scale: Identify who is impacted. Is this a local, national, or global cause?

Try it out for yourself down below!

Building a Rewarding Career

A personal mission statement can help you begin building a career that is fulfilling to you. For more resources on this topic, check out our related insights to help you identify a career that is right for you.