- Your personal vision statement should include both short- and long-term professional goals. For example, a short-term goal could be to find a career that aligns with your passion, while a long-term goal could be to own a company that aligns with that same passion.
- You’ll want to be clear on the principles and values you wish to uphold when working towards your goal.
- Desiring to contribute to your community or your organization should be included in your personal vision statement as well.
- Your vision statement should also include what you are most passionate about. For example, maybe your long-term career goal is to become a teacher because you are passionate about education. Including your passion will help keep you motivated.
- Determine your top strengths. Identifying your strengths and determining how they can help you achieve your goals is an important step in the process of writing your statement. List out your skills and then narrow them down to the strengths that are most relevant and useful to your career goals. Use these strengths as stepping stones to making improvements in your professional life.
- Write down your values. Make sure your values align with your career goals. If they counter each other, you may want to re-evaluate your career aspirations.
- Choose the career you want to pursue. Getting specific about the career you want to pursue is important and will allow you to create actionable steps you can take to get there.
- Write your personal mission statement. Using the above information, compose a 40- to 60-word mission statement that encompasses your goals, values, and skills. The first sentence should include the career you want to pursue and the specific job title. The second sentence should include your reasoning for wanting to go after this career. For example, you may want to pursue a career to follow your passion.
- Read it every day. Keep your personal vision statement somewhere close by where you can see it regularly. You could write it on a small piece of paper and carry it in your purse or wallet, or tape it to your computer so it’s within your sight daily.
- Use it when making decisions. If you’re searching for a new job or making another important career decision, you can use your personal vision statement as a reference to ensure you’re taking the steps to get where you ultimately want to be.
- Tell someone else about your personal vision. Consider telling a close friend or relative about your personal vision. This will help hold you accountable for following through on it.
Every personal vision statement varies depending on the goals, values, and priorities of the person writing it. There are many parts to include in your statement:
How to write a personal vision statement
Here are steps you can follow when crafting your personal vision statement:
How to use your personal vision statement
Once you’ve crafted a mission statement, it’s time to use it. Here are a few ways to use your vision statement:
