Difference between Mission and Vision Statements

Vision statements describe your own unique vision of what an ideal experience in each of your life areas would be like (learn more about vision statements.) They tend to focus on the distant future looking forward five to ten years. They represent an ideal outcome. Mission statements are based on your current situation and what you need to focus on in the next one to three years to move you closer to your long-term vision. While vision statements are passive, focusing mostly what you want to experience, mission statements are active focusing on your actions, behaviors, habits and character. Mission and vision statements are complementary to each other. Vision statements show you an idealized description of your ultimate destination, while mission statements represent your chosen path to get you there.

Writing a Personal Mission Statement

A personal mission statement is a brief description of what you want to focus on, what you want to accomplish and who you want to become in a particular area of your life over the next one to three years. It is a way to focus your energy, actions, behaviors and decisions towards the things that are most important to you. Personal Mission Statement Guidelines While there is no unique format or formula for creating your personal mission statement, the following guidelines may be helpful:

Keep it simple, clear and brief. The best mission statements tend to be 3 to 5 sentences long. Your mission statement should touch upon what you want to focus on and who you want to become as a person (character) in this part of your life. Think about specific actions, behaviors, habits and qualities that would have a significant positive impact in this part of your life over the next one to three years. Make sure your mission statement is positive. Instead of saying what you don't want to do or don't want to be, say what you do want to do or become. Find the positive alternatives to any negative statements. Include positive behaviors, character traits and values that you consider particularly important and want to develop further. Think about how your actions, habits, behavior and character traits in this area affect the important relationships in your life. Create a mission statement that will guide you in your day-to-day actions and decisions. Make it a part of your everyday life. Think about how your mission affects the other areas of your life. Is it consistent with your other personal mission statements? Will it conflict with or contradict something else? Is it balanced? Make it emotional. Including an emotional payoff in your mission statement infuses it with passion and will make it even more compelling, inspiring and energizing.

Remember that your mission statement is not cast in stone. It will continue to change and evolve as you gain insights about yourself and what you want out of each part of your life.

Personal Mission Statement Sentence Templates Here are some sample personal mission statement sentence templates to get you started (check out the values list for ideas on possible values you could use). Use these templates as seeds to get your creative juices flowing. "To ... [what you want to achieve, do or become] ... so that ... [reasons why it is important]. I will do this by ... [specific behaviors or actions you can use to get there]." "I value ...[choose one to three values]... because ...[reasons why these values are important to you]. Accordingly, I will ...[what you can do to live by these values]."

"To develop and cultivate the qualities of ...[two to three values/character traits]... that I admire in ...[an influential person in your life]... so that ...[why you want to develop these qualities]." "To live each day with ...[choose one to three values or principles]... so that ...[what living by these values will give you]. I will do this by ...[specific behaviors you will use to live by these values]." "To appreciate and enjoy ...[things you want to appreciate and enjoy more] by ...[what you can do to appreciate/enjoy these things]." "To treasure above all else ...[most important things to you] by ...[what you can do to live your priorities]." "To be known by ...[an important person/group]... as someone who is ...[qualities you want to have]...; by ...[some other person/group]... as someone who is ...[other qualities]...; ..." Feel free to combine these sentences in any way to carve your own unique personal mission statement. Here is a part of a potential mission statement for the health & fitness area using the first sentence template: "To be healthy, fit and energetic so that I can enjoy life to the fullest and have the energy to pursue all my goals. I will do this by exercising regularly, following a nutritious diet and eliminating negative habits that are impacting my health." If you are having trouble getting started, choose one of the sentence templates (whichever one appeals to you the most) and copy it into your word processor; then erase the "...[]..." parts and read the sentence from the start. When you get to a gap, pause for a moment, and then let your mind fill in the gap. Just write whatever pops into your head. Repeat this a couple of times and then choose the sentences you like the most as your starting point. Later, you can add or refine your personal mission statement using more of the sentence templates.

Sample Mission Statements "Personal Mission Statement I WILL attempt to further my knowledge everyday either through taking classes, reading books, or educating experiences so I can be as intelligent and insightful as my parents. I WILL be a better daughter, sister, student, teammate, and friend by improving on my inferior qualities like organization, responsibility, and compassion. I WILL continue to exercise my body a few times a week in order to become lean and fit. This way I will have the muscle and endurance to achieve my goals and live a long, healthy life. I WILL find a job every summer until I begin attending college in order to at least triple my current bank account. The money I earn will be used to pay for college expenses, and left untouched otherwise.

I WILL treasure time spent with my family and friends above everything else by putting aside time for them no matter how busy my schedule may become. I WILL become a respected and noted leader to those who surround me through taking charge and succeeding in difficult situations." -- Submitted by Marissa "To create a profitable restaurant with an exciting atmosphere, great food, and excellent service where people truly enjoy coming to eat. To provide a safe, healthy, and rewarding workplace for our employees."

"Growing from strength to strength, XXX is dedicated to improving the quality of life, making it better, safer and easier." -- Submitted by Shaniz

"To provide high quality products that combine performance with value pricing, while establishing a successful relationship with our customers and our suppliers. To constantly strive to meet or exceed our customer needs and expectations of price, service, and selection. To this end, we will perform periodic reviews of the marketplace to improve our offerings. To stay ahead of the competition by innovating new products and services based on the needs of our customers and market demand."

"To be a profitable provider of high quality software solutions and services that provide strategic value to our customers and create a company that can attract, recruit and retain smart and talented employees. "

"Our Mission is to promote the value of learning, self-worth among students and staff, quality performance among students and staff, and transition for students to productive and responsible participation in society." -- Submitted by Yvette Toro - these statements were written by teachers in a WASC focus group on campus.

"To provide a safe and stimulating environment for bright and curious children to interact with and learn from each other. To entertain children with educational offerings that provide fun learning opportunities. To create a profitable website that generates strategic value for our investors and partners. To provide a creative and rewarding work environment for our employees."

"customer satisfaction is what we aspire for"

"minimize the cost of production" -- Production result area mission statement

"To become more confident in what I do"

"I live my life as a solution to humanity - travessing all nations and races: giving hope and future to the hopeless, the poor and the oppressed in and through Christ." -- Submitted by Raymond for Accra Ghana

"Nurturing call center environment that provide excellent customer service" - Submitted by Anne

"To provide continued customer satisfaction by maintaining value driven and positive work attitude employees, and become the leading furniture maker, supplier in the market today". -- Submitted by Edge V.A 09/28/05

"My purpose throughout each day of my life is to express my commitment to love and cherish my family and friends, improve myself personally and professionally so that I can advance within my career, lead a successful career that I will enjoy, and take on any challenges that come my way." -- Submitted by Susana 07/29/06

"I dedicate myself to an attitude of gratitude in order to improve my health and my wealth. With this attitude, I will generously share my time and my talents with my family, my church and my community." -- Submitted by Rhea 08/27/06

"I will... be more determined to pass all my classes so that I will be able to play sports and so I can graduate. I will also practice harder to become a better runner." -- Antohy

"I dedicate myself to be the best basketball player that I can be. I will be the very best person that I can be. I will become confident in everything that I do in life. I will become a better student, friend, and son. My mission is to become more respectful and more responsible" -- Drew

"To empower our unemployed and underemployed tribal community members. To provide the support services, assistance with barrier removal, job coaching and life skill workshops that will uplift and bring them to a level of success" -- Charlene of Mission of Tribal Social Services

"My purpose each day for the rest of my lie is to grow spiritually and serve as a vessel of God's will. I will strive to make a positive difference in every person I interact with and always continue to improve my body, mind, emotions and spirit with truth and love. I

remain teachable and grateful." -- Tina Johnson

"To Provide Professional IT Services to the organization by building state of the art IT Infrastructure"

"OUR MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE CUSTOMER AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE THROUGH WORLD CLASS MANUFACTURING PRACTICES: CONTINUALLY STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WE PROVIDE. or OUR MISSION IS TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE THROUGH A COMMITMENT THAT EMPOWERS THE ORGANIZATION AT EVERY LEVEL TO STRIVE FOR THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF QUALITY, CUSTOMER CARE AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE." -- Dan Hill

"To value and live in a manner that shows reverence for all living beings by fostering healthy relationships and mutual respect for all so that those around me so that they may be influenced and encouraged to live positively and fruitfully. Accordingly, I will do this by continuing my education both academic and personal so that I may continue to grow and learn in order to make a progressive, effective, and beneficial impact in my relationships with other people and the environment."

"To be the most passionately reffered agent in the Real Estate industry, while striving to provide my clients with the optimum service they deserve." -- Amber Whisenhunt

"To work with utmost devotion and boost up the standard of organization with in flinching efforts in challenging conditions and situations." -- Ammer Joyo

"The REIGN mission To Reach, Educate, Inspire, Grow, and Nurture today's Generation" "My personal mission (permission) is to trust my intuition and inner guidance which will provide meaning, purpose and direction in my life. In turn, this will bestow me with the wisdom and courage needed to stand in my truth and become the leader I was meant to be." -- Michelle Quaife

"Contentment Enjoying life to its fullest. In every moment, there is a memory. The seemingly small moments can be some of the most important. A hug, a chuckle, a friendly smile, a quiet time, family and friends. How I receive these times and These Moments Make my life. To Treat Others as I Would Want to be Treated I reap my own harvest. I get what I give. I want to hold on to this: The Golden Rule. It takes me on the Greatest path and a wondrous journey.

Dignity, Honor, Justice, Love and Truth I hold these qualities dearly in my heart and soul. I pray to keep them and abide in them, in God And in his Son Jesus. To Know My Weaknesses and My Strengths With this, I can find my way through the good and the bad times. I can use both of these to help others. Sometimes just a friendly hello can cheer, other times, just lending an ear. There are many ways, big and small, that will help others along this path called life." -- Andrea

"To work together as a team, to respect opinions and view of others. To be reliable & accountable for our own team participation. To work together on assigned task & challenges, accepting each member thoughts. As a team we will work together assigning & taking on team tasks full filling our team position requirements. . As a team we will work together to stay in touch, keeping the communication lines open offering support & help to all members should they not be able to partake in a discussion. As a team we will identify, create a plan of action utilizing everyones knowledge, soliciting input from all. Being responsible and acknowledging each personal thought and efforts put in by each member. To be successful as a team & as individuals."

"To live each day with passion, love, and faith so that I may become closer to the Lord and make a difference in peoples lives. I will do this by spending time daily in the Word, seeking out opportunities to help others, and by striving to live as Jesus Christ did."

"To enhance the lives of those I meet by helping them face demanding and challenging situations with enthusiasm and strength." - Chris

"I will live each day with faith,achievment, and adventure so that i could live my life with freedom, joy, and success. I will be determind to graduate from a veternarian college, and explore the world takeing care of any animal in need." - Amy

"My mission is to provide my customers with courteous , affordable, quality technical and exceptional customer service. To provide continued customer satisfaction to my customers, to earn the trust of family and friends. Service is the heart of our business" - Lurline

Guiding Principles to Complement Your Mission Statement Guiding principles represent your core beliefs, values, principles or ideals that guide you towards your mission/vision. Some people like to use a prioritized list of values with short descriptions of how they want to live each value through this area. Others prefer to use short quotes or maxims that represent an important principle. For example:

A1. Succeed at Home First - My success at work matters little if I don't have a place to come home to. This would be a useful guiding principle in the Home and Career life areas. Most people like to have three to five guiding principles for each of their life areas. You can use as many as you like, but don't go overboard or they start to lose significance. Like your mission statement, your guiding principles should represent the things you want to focus on over the next six months to a year. Be sure to update and re-rank them as part of your quarterly reviews.

Updating Your Personal Mission Statement Your personal mission statement represents a high-level one to three year plan for this part of your life. Because it focuses on the short term, you should check it regularly to ensure that it is still applicable to your situation and is leading you toward your long-term vision. The Weekly Review time management best practice is a great opportunity to review and reconnect to your personal mission statement on a regular basis. In this context, you review your mission statement to inspire you and remind you of the important things in your life that you want to focus on so you consider them in your weekly plans. In addition, I would also recommend a quarterly (or monthly if you prefer) review where you can focus more on revising and updating your mission statement based on what has changed in your life over the past few months. This quarterly review ensures that your mission statement remains relevant to your everyday decisions and actions. Think of these quarterly reviews as "course corrections" on your path towards your long-term vision. Check out the Achieve Planner time management software if you want an easy way to keep track of your mission statements and guiding principles for each of your life areas.

Writing a Compelling Vision Statement

A vision statement is a vivid idealized description of a desired outcome that inspires, energizes and helps you create a mental picture of your target. It could be a vision of a part of your life, or the outcome of a project or goal. Vision statements are often confused with mission statements, but they serve complementary purposes. Vision Statement Guidelines The best vision statements for result areas describe outcomes that are five to ten years away, although some look even further out. For projects and goals, the vision statement should focus on the desired outcome of the project/goal at its completion date. Here are some guidelines for writing compelling and powerful vision statements.

Summarize Your Vision in a Powerful Phrase If possible, try to summarize your vision using a powerful phrase in the first paragraph of your vision statement. Capturing the essence of your vision using a simple memorable phrase can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your vision statement. This phrase will serve as a trigger to the rest of the vision in the mind of everyone that reads it. Take for instance Microsoft's vision of "A personal computer in every home running Microsoft software." This simple yet very powerful phrase can be used throughout the organization (hallways, internal web pages, plaques, etc.) to remind everyone of the vision. If you are having trouble coming up with your summarizing phrase, try adding after you've written the rest of the vision statement. Take as Much Space as You Need Vision statements can be much longer than mission statements. The purpose is to create a mental picture charged with emotion that can serve to energize and inspire you and your team. Take as much space as you need to accomplish this goal. Your Vision Statement Should Describe the Best Possible Outcome In general, you should base your vision statements on the best possible outcome. In fact, you might want to envision something even better than what you consider to be the best possible outcome. Remember that the purpose of the vision statement is to inspire, energize, motivate, and stimulate your creativity, not to serve as a measuring stick for success; that is the job of your objectives and goals. I once attended a training seminar where one of the exercises was to come up with as many ideas as we could for earning ten dollars by the end of the day. This was supposedly an exercise in brainstorming. After a few minutes, the instructor polled the audience for some of their ideas. Some ideas were better than others, but everyone agreed that even the bad ones could have earned someone ten dollars in a day. The instructor then asked if any of the ideas presented so far could earn someone a million dollars. The consensus was that the vast majority of ideas had absolutely no chance to make anyone a million dollars, and a select few had only a very slim chance. At

the end of the exercise, the instructor simply said, You dont get million dollar ideas from a ten dollar vision. In other words, the quality of your vision determines the creativity, quality and originality of your ideas and solutions. A powerful vision statement should stretch expectations and aspirations helping you jump out of your comfort zone. Some people may object to the use of such an optimistic or unrealistic vision statement because others may consider it a failure when they fall short of the best possible outcome, even if they meet all the goals/objectives. Unfortunately, this is a very valid concern in many organizations. If this is the case, you can still gain the benefits of a powerful and compelling vision statement by creating two versions: an idealized version to inspire and motivate, and a watered down "realistic" version that you can use as a target. Just keep in mind that, back in the early 80's, Microsoft's vision of "a PC in every home running Microsoft software" would have been considered by most to be highly unrealistic. I think it is safe to say that, even now, not every home has a PC in it and not every PC runs Microsoft software, but that doesn't mean Microsoft has failed! It just means they still have room for improvement. Remember that the purpose of the vision statement is not to serve as a "real" target that you are going to measure against to determine if you have succeeded or failed. You should use your goals and objectives to do that. Instead, the purpose of the vision statement is to open your eyes to what is possible. Albert Einstein said, Imagination is more powerful than knowledge. I believe this is true in many respects because while knowledge allows you to see things as they are, imagination allows you to see things as they could be. When we become aware of what is possible, we begin to realize that dreams can be achieved, that challenges can be conquered, and that problems can be solved. In doing so we open up a completely new set of avenues and possibilities, which by itself is a tremendous source of passion and energy. As Les Brown puts it, "Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you'll still be among the stars." Describe Your Vision Statement in the Present Tense Describe your vision statement in present tense as if you were reporting what you actually see, hear, think and feel after your ideal outcome was realized. Make your Vision Statement Emotional Your vision statement should describe how you will feel when the outcome is realized. Including an emotional payoff in your vision statement infuses it with passion and will make it even more compelling, inspiring, and energizing. Add Sensory Details to Your Vision Statement The more sensory details you can provide, the more powerful your statement becomes. Describe the scenes, colors, sounds, and shapes. Describe who is there and what everyone is doing. These sensory details will help you build a more complete and powerful mental image of your ideal outcome.

Have questions related to writing a vision statement? Want help, advice, or feedback for a vision statement you are developing? Inner vs. Outer Vision Statements When creating vision statements it is often useful to separate the inner and outer aspects. This is particularly true for vision statements related to your life areas, and less important for project/goal vision statements. An outer vision statement refers to your physical sensory experience (what you would see, hear, do, etc.). An inner vision statement refers to your internal thoughts, emotions and feelings. In a business setting, you can think of outer vision statements as the way you would like "outsiders" such as your customers, suppliers and the community to view and behave towards your company. An inner vision statement would describe the way you would like your employees, owners and other insiders to view your company. While developing the Achieve goal setting software, we decided to include the concepts of inner vs. outer vision statements at the result area level, but not for the project vision in project plans.

Sample Vision Statements For a restaurant: "Our restaurant is a place where people come to relax, have a good time, and enjoy a great meal. From the moment our customers walk in the door, they are greeted by a warm atmosphere, subtle music, and friendly and courteous staff. We cater to large groups that are out to have fun, as well as romantic dinners for people celebrating a special occasion. The restaurant is packed full of customers, and yet we efficiently avoid long delays while they are being seated and while their food is prepared. The lighting, table arrangements, atmosphere, and decorations all encourage our customers to relax, let go of their concerns, and open up to new taste sensations. We provide exceptional service all night long. When they are done, we take care of their check quickly and efficiently. They leave happy, satisfied, but not overly bloated or full. They leave with the desire of just one more bite of our wonderful food." "In every single act I seek to please God. I have my own small family. We all live in a very quite life that is full of respect and love. We all have goals and missions in our life, we all love our country and try to help our community. Im very rich and in a decision making position. I do change a life of thousands of people. And I raise smiles in every face I face. I always try to keep my health in good status and always improve my knowledge and skills." -- Submitted by Gabool (09/05) For a High School: "Victor Valley High School is dedicated to providing the highest quality educational program with the cornerstones of value learning, self-worth among students and staff, quality performance among students and staff, and transition for students to a productive and responsible participation in society at large." -- Submitted by Yvette Toro

For a youth ministry: From the Pit to the Palace "A year long youth ministry for male and females focused on taking them from zero knowledge of God to ministry internships" -Submitted by a reader (12/05) "To be a leading entity to provide training, knowledge and consulting services all over the world in the fields of self development and human resources development for individuals and business societies." -- Submitted by www.leaderships.org "Within the next 12 months evolve the existing method of service into an environment that: Promotes and nurtures service excellence. Builds and maintains a customer-oriented culture. Understands that service excellence at the front lines has to start with the concept of service excellence at the level of top management. Acknowledge that the service excellence concept must be a key part of the very structure and operation of the organization. Understands that people and systems in the organization must be constantly tuned to customer needs and to management's evolving concept of service excellence." "The classroom is one in which the potential for learning is open and free to every student." "to be a leading organization to provide training, knowledge and service all over the world in the environmental sanitation industry" "using event to change the lives and mind of people and to bring the talent of people(africans) and their culture to bare in the global world" "To provide a distinctively-Christian environment of educational excellence while challenging the academically accelerated individual and accelerating the academically challenged individual." "Within ten years, support and process ten million risk and error free investment transactions per year for a million customers" "Year after year, Kiwi Golf Tours will be widely recognised as the premiere provider of innovative golf tours and services for Korean golf tourists." "To be established as one of the top hospitality trainer in the country by means of recognition well within and outside the company with constant technical & psychological development by higher education and greater exposure" "To reach out to those who feel inferior,& feel like they are enstranged from God,with a message of greatness & mercy,bringing them to a point of greatness." -- Ben Odiri "To stand out as a region with passion for service professionally delighting our customers whom we see as the essence of our operations" -- Vision statement for utility provider

"I envision myself to become a great minister in the eyes of God. God will put all the priorities before me if I continue to do his will and seek his face. With my walk with God I hope to save a soul a long the way, so someone else can enjoy his goodness as well. My goal is to finish the race, by staying obedient to every command to enter the kingdom of God." -- Lamar Graham "Customer Experience: To give the Customer reasons to smile:)" -- Niraj Thakur "My vision is to see people of all ages and cultures come together unified and empowered by sharing the belief that they hold the power to create and shape how they live and grow within their own communities." -- Michelle Quaife

Updating Your Vision Statement Since vision statements are usually focused on the long-term, they don't have to be updated or reviewed as frequently as mission statements. My personal preference is to review vision statements at least once a month. You can also review them whenever you need a jolt of inspiration or an energy recharge. A quarterly review is also an excellent time to determine if your vision statement is still describing the ideal outcome you want for each result area. Sometimes you will find that your vision can remain consistent with what you want for a long time, and other times you have an epiphany and have to rewrite your statement from scratch.
Resource taken from : http://www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/mission-statements.htm http://www.timethoughts.com/goalsetting/vision-statements.htm

What is your passion?

What is it that you do whenever you get a chance that draws you like a magnet, that involves your heart and soul, that you enjoy so much, you'd skip meals to keep doing it? (And I don't mean Web surfing because we ALL seem to be drawn to the silly computer.) I ask because I was wondering if you had connected with anything like that in your life so far. I did, with writing--it became my consuming passion. Do you have anything like that in your life or dreams? Passion of this type can come in many forms. It can be your livelihood. It can be a hobby. It can be a hobby that turns into a livelihood. It can also be something that might surprise you, that doesnt fit any expected mode. For example, passion can manifest itself in a love of family or friends. Your passion could be your children. Your passion could be your car. A passion doesnt have to be your all-consuming thing for your entire life, either. It can change as something new catches your interest and you find yourself drawn to it more and more. A good friend of mine used to be an artist. She had her own frame shop/gallery, in which she displayed her work as well as that of other area artists. She held frequent gallery openings. When she was alone in her shop, she used that time to work on her own art at her easel. I came to identify my friend in this way: as an artist, surrounded by and immersed in art. I was a writer, and our mutual interest in the arts fit our friendship nicely. Then one day she called me and said she had bought herself a puppy. Fine, cool. I love dogs. It didnt stop there, though. This dog was a pedigreed Chow. My friend fell so deeply for that animal, she wanted to show him off. She discovered the dog-show circuit. No longer was my friend always at her gallery. Often, when I tried to find her, she was on the road, headed from one dog show to another. And the dog won blue ribbons, lots of them. My friend bought a mate for him, another Chow, and started showing that one. And if my friend had been joyfully immersed in her first dog, she was doubly so in the pair. She was never home by this point, and my contact with her dwindled to almost nothing. Finally she got into breeding her dogs and selling or showing the puppies. She closed her gallery. At that time, I was also making changes in my life, and my friend and I went in separate directions. I still consider her a friend, just one I dont keep up with as often, and I still cherish the many happy times we had together. I still display her art in my home. So I am reminded of her on a daily basis. And, no, I dont resent one bit that she changed her passion to something new she could enjoy as much or even more than her art. If I still lived nearby, Id be accompanying her to the occasional dog show. But my passion took me to another part of the country. And my friend and I learned to expand our view of each other. This is how passion works. It isnt something that should bind us, even if it might mean changing our circle of friends, seeing new friends more often and old friends less so. It is this penchant for change, however, in passion that scares many people away from

letting themselves experience it, that is the reason some of us shake our heads upon hearing that someone we know has just up and moved to Australia to be a sheep rancher. Sometimes we can hide our passion from ourselves for these very reasons: fear of change, fear of disruption. Yet there are clues, and we only have to search a little to notice them, to begin to piece together where our passion lies and how to connect with it. It is passion that can open our lives to new vistas and bring us satisfaction greater than anything we ever imagined, cause us to break out of a comfortable routine and literally find ourselves engaging in activities we never would have considered months earlier. Passion can be the motivational force to self discovery, to self development. But only if we let it.

Resource taken from: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45537.asp