Why you need a personal mission statement (and how to write one)

The single most powerful action in personal development you can take to change your life for the better.

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Did you know an airplane is off course at least 90% of the time?

Yet 90% of flights arrive as scheduled. How is this possible?

The airplane is constantly pushed off it’s planned course due to wind, turbulence an other factors. But the pilots are continuously correcting course by receiving feedback via their in-flight instruments and then making small adjustments to bring the airplane back on the flight path.

The flight has a planned route with a fixed end point. Any deviation from the path is monitored and duly corrected. This is how they reach the end point with a high success rate.

Reaching your goals is the same.

You can be confident in reaching your end goal even if you go off course… as long as you keep correcting course along the way.

Think of the ultimate end goal we all share: Jannah.

We will make mistakes along the way. But we have the opportunity to repent and replace bad actions with good ones.

But we won’t know if we drifted off the straight path if we don’t know the end goal to begin with.

Sometimes we’re told what the end goal is… Quran and Sunnah.

Other times we need to figure it out for ourselves… personal goals.

Proactive Muslims know how to combine both to be truly effective. This is called “personal leadership”.

The true meaning of leadership

People often confuse leadership with management. Knowing the difference is vital for becoming a Proactive Muslim.

Imagine you’re in charge of clearing a path in a dense jungle.

You assign people to chop the branches, collect the debris and so on. This is like your daily tasks… the actual work you need to do to reach the end point.

But the workers need lunch. And their machetes need sharpening.

So you assign managers to take of the workers needs. This is like all the things you do to improve your effectiveness… eating well, getting good rest, learning new skills.

But managers are not the same as the leader.

The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree… looks at the end point and shouts down at the team:

“We’re going in the wrong direction!”

No matter how hard you work or how well you manage your time… it won’t matter if you’re not going in the right direction.

The mission of Islam

The Prophet and his companions faced unimaginable hardships. But setback after setback didn’t deter them from their mission.

The companions themselves would sometimes despair at how things were going. The way some were troubled by the apparent compromises in the treaty of Hudaybiyah is an example.

But you can navigate such hurdles when you have a compelling mission and the greatest leader to guide you to the end goal.

The mission comes first.

And even if things don’t seem to be going your way now… you must always keep the end in mind and get back on your path.

Next comes leadership: how effectively can you stay on the mission path?

Why you should have a personal mission

Muslims all share the same mission objectives:

• Jannah

• Taqwa

• Ending oppression

• Good character

These are just a few examples but the point is we know what we’re supposed to be working on. We can manage our progress through studying, practice and many other ways to achieve our spiritual goals.

And we can find spiritual leadership from the Quran, Sunnah and teachers. We refer back to their guidance when we go off the path.

But we’re not all the same.

Some of us have a talent for business. Others are natural teachers. What if you have a passion for the environment?

We each have something to contribute. And every pathway is unique yet leads to the same mission objectives above.

This is your personal mission.

From a purely logical angle you need people to produce and people to sell. People to farm and people to cook. You need builders and designers.

But also think about the companions who were able to support the mission of Islam with their wealth. Or through their military expertise or technical knowledge.

They were under the leadership of the Prophet but also had personal leadership: ihsan.

Proactive Muslims combine the mission of Islam with their personal mission through personal leadership.

But how is it done? Most people think it’s either “Deen or dunya”.

Personal leadership is about how committed you are to your mission. Are you going to stick to your plan? Will you correct your path when you veer off course?

How effectively do you navigate the dunya to enhance your Deen… not hinder it?

Imagine someone who gets a job in a top company and earns a high income. Will they use the money for good causes or will they be wasteful? Will they pray on time now they have a high demanding job?

Trying to make the right choice at every step of the way just creates opportunities to potentially do the wrong thing. This is fundamentally reactive behaviour even if you intend to do the right thing.

It’s like choosing between water and alcohol every single time you’re thirsty. Why even take the chance?

A pilot can keep steering the airplane until he finds a place to land. But how long before he runs out of fuel?

Proactive Muslims begin with the end in mind: what do I need to do this very moment to advance in my mission?

It requires absolute clarity of the mission plan and how you will keep on the path.

You get this by writing a personal mission statement.

A personal mission statement—like goal setting—is like a promise you make to yourself.

If your goals are the things you want to achieve… your mission is the compelling reason for why you want to achieve them.

Your personal mission statement is the promise you make about the way you’re going to do things. The way you’re going to pursue and ultimately achieve your mission.

You can call it anything you like: your personal philosophy… your code of ethics…

But it’s essentially your commitment to being the person who successfully achieves the mission and goals you’ve set (and I hope this is with the betterment of Muslims in mind).

It’s important to realise the past does not matter now. Your personal mission statement is about looking to the future…

The mistakes you made can be fixed with your personal mission statement.

The character flaws can be changed.

The failures can be turned into triumphs.

“Your personal mission statement is more powerful than all the baggage of your past. And is even more powerful than all the noise of the present.”

Because you now make the choice to only act according to your personal mission statement. The past doesn’t dictate how you act now. Nor is the noise of the present able to distract you from your path.

This is fundamentally proactive thinking.

What goes into a personal mission statement

• Core values

  • What values do you strongly hold? What defines you as a person of good character?

  • This might include character traits or values you want to live by.

• Roles

  • What are your roles in life? What is your role in the world?

  • Think about your roles towards others such as if you’re a father or daughter. Also think about your roles as an employee, a member of your community and so on.

• Mission

  • What are the big things you want to do in life? What impact do you want to make?

  • Think of these as the overall legacy you want to leave behind. What does it all lead to?

• Actions

  • What are the foundational actions you will take to fulfill your mission?

  • This is how you will keep your promise to live up to the values, roles and ultimately your mission.

These are the components to build up your mission statement. They are like the instruments in the cockpit of the airplane:

Whenever you go off course check if you are living up to your core values.

Are you fulfilling your roles and responsibilities?

Is what you’re currently doing taking you closer or farther away from your mission?

Are you doing the actions you promised you would take?

I can’t emphasise enough how important a personal mission statement is. It’s the single most powerful action in personal development you can take to change your life for the better.

You probably already know about the FREE goal setting challenge I’m doing with readers. It’s private, personalised and is helping readers overcome years of struggling with achieving more in their lives—and I’ll even help you write your personal mission statement. Just click here to start.

I’ll also include detailed written instructions (with examples) below for paid subscribers who want to do it themselves.

How to write your personal mission statement

(Unlock this guide by clicking here)