Businesses have them, churches have them, charities and hospitals have them. So should you.
Mission statements are the ‘big picture’ of the ultimate goal, your reason for existing and the vision for the future. A family mission statement helps define what you want to be and what you want to do. It defines your family’s common purpose, specific direction and it provides a compass to guide and measure your progress. Not only does your family mission statement reflect your values, it helps you appreciate your unique identity in the world and enables each member to see him/herself as part of the team.
Creating a family mission statement is easy to do. Writing it together as a family is an exicting and unifying experience. Here’s how you can get started:
- Prepare— Include everyone in the process no matter their age. Give a quick explanation of what you’re doing and why.
- Make it Personal — Write everyone’s ideas on a large piece of paper or marker boad. Give examples to support the ideas so that even the younger ones can understand what you’re talking about. Ask each other these questions to get thinking: What words best describe our family? How do we want to treat each other? What kind of home (not house) do we want? What is most important to our family? What contributions can our family make to help make a difference in the world?
- Formulation — Combine similar ideas and choose wording that is appealing, meaningful and easy to remember. Include verbs to describe what action you will do. Keep it simple, clear and concise. Refine it and be sure to be creative. Use things like a motto, or an acrostic using the letters in your last name.
That’s it! Now that you’ve created your family mission statement you’ll want to type or write it out and post it somewhere in your home where you all can see it. Go ahead and frame it to show it’s importance. You can even make laminated copies of various sizes for wallets, bookmarks, or placemats. You get the idea ;)
And don’t forget to memorize it. Be sure to refer to it often in conversation and use it as a way to encourage everyone to reflect it in their behaviours and attitudes. And lastly, be proud of it and let it spill over into every aspect of your lives. People will notice and remember your unique family.
