More Personal Mission Statement Exercises for Job-Seekers

More Exercises that May Help You Develop Your Mission Statement

Please make sure you've first read the article, Using a Personal Mission Statement to Chart Your Career Course, as well as attempted some of these personal mission statement exercises.

Adapted from works by Laurie Beth Jones [LBJ] and Richard Leider [RL].

Gifts, Dreams, Sorrow, Unlived Lives (LBJ)

What were your parents' unlived lives? Do you know what their dreams were? Write them down.
Have their unlived lives affected or influenced you? If so, how?
Picture yourself standing in a room. One by one, the following people come up to you, look into your eyes, and hand out a gift. What is it?

The same people also hand you a cup filled with something that caused them sorrow, pain or concern. What is in the cup of pain or sorrow that each person hands you?
Which cups of sorrow are you unwilling to drink?
Which cup are you willing to drink, or have you been drinking from?
Which of the gifts that were given to you have you chosen to use?
Which of the gifts that were given to you have you chosen not to use?

Prophesies (LBJ)

Write down a positive prophecy someone gave you about yourself. It could be recent or from years ago.
Who was the messenger?
Has the prophecy come to pass?
Could it still?
Can you recall a negative prediction someone gave you that actually become fuel for you?

Discovering What Moves You (RL)

If you were asked to create a TV special about something that movies you, what would it be about?
What magazines intrigue you most at a newsstand? What sections or articles most catch your attention?
If you started a business or organization to solve a need, what would it be?
What issue would you like to see someone write a bestselling book about?
What subjects would you like to learn about? Go back to school for? Study for a master's in?
In the past year, what were your favorite causes? What interests do they reflect?
Who are the people you find yourself voluntarily getting together with, again and again, for deeper discussions? What are your deepest discussions about?
How would you use a gift of a million dollars if it had to be given away or designated for a cause, issue, or problem that moves you?
Is there any need or problem you believe in so strongly you'd love to work at it full-time if you were paid well to do it?

Finding Your Gifts (LBJ)

People say, "Oh, you are so good at____________."
Write down a list of no fewer than 20 talents you have been given. Pretend that you will be given a $1,000 bill for each talent you list.
Which of these talents have you buried?
Which talents have you multiplied?
Whom are you blaming for your talents being buried?

Identifying Your Passion (LBJ)

What excites you in or about the world?
What angers you in or about the world?
If you could teach three things to others about what excites you in the world, what three things would you teach?
If you could convey to others three things about what angers you in the world, what you convey?
How can you use what most excites you to affect what most angers you? List at least 10 ways.

Finding Your USP -- Unique Selling Proposition (LBJ)

What did you do for fun when you were a child?
What were your favorite toys?
Your favorite games?
Do you remember anything that came particularly easily to you as a child?
What did you tell people you were going to do or be when you grew up?
Are you being or doing anything that resembles that dream now? If so, what? If not, why not?

Envisioning (LBJ)

Who is living the life you most envy?
Describe what you think that life is like?
Who is doing the kind of work you most wish you could be doing?
Describe what this work life is like.
If you had only six healthy months left to live, what would they look like?
What do you want more of -in your relationships?
-in your work?
What do you want less of

Describe in detail your ideal work setting.
Describe in detail your ideal work day.
Describe in detail your ideal co-workers.
If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life?
What would you do if you were 10 times bolder: -in your primary live relationship?
-in school/on campus?
-in your work setting?
-in your community?
-in your family?
-in your place of worship?
Imagine it is Monday morning, 9 a.m., three years from now:
-Where are you?
-What are you doing?
-Who are you seeing?
-What are you wearing?
It is noon, the same day: -Who are you going to see?
-Where are you going for lunch?
It is now Sunday, 6 p.m.: -Where are you?
-What are you doing?
-Who are you seeing?
-What are you wearing?
You are now a very old person, walking with a school child, who asks you, "What are you most proud of in your life?"
You are about to die. What did you accomplish before you left?
As a result of your having lived, three things have changed or shifted in the world. What are they?

Laurie Beth Jones is the author of The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life.

Richard J. Leider is the author of The Power of Purpose: Creating Meaning in Your Life and Work.

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More Exercises that May Help You Develop Your Mission Statement

Enhance your career! Take advantage of all of our expert free career development advice, tools, and more in our Career Resources Toolkit for Job-Seekers.