Revisiting M.O.M. – Mother on a Mission

Nearly three years ago, I wrote a blog post that has since become a foundational tool in my “how-to-achieve-work-life-balance” toolkit. In it, I explained the importance of being a M.O.M., or Mom On a Mission. Lately, I’ve been especially busy, distracted and down right stressed to the core. So today I decided to stop for a moment to breathe and reflect on my mission. Yes…I’m guilty. Before today, I hadn’t given it an ounce of attention in the last six months – at least! And it shows. In an effort to reconnect with my mission, I decided to freshen up the post I wrote in 2006.

A mission statement helps working moms

Chances are the company you work for has a mission statement. It describes what your company stands for and why it’s in business. When used properly, the mission is a powerful tool that provides direction and propels the people in your organization to meet its goals.

A personal mission statement is similar, but offers some distinct differences that can help you lead a more balanced work-life.

For working moms who struggle with identifying between two distinct roles – career professional and mother – the mission statement answers a fundamental question: What am I all about?

When you are clear about who you are and what your want (your purpose), life is balanced. A personal mission statement becomes an anchor that holds you down during times of uncertainty and chaos. It is also a compass that provides direction and helps you make decisions.

Your personal mission statement should reflect what’s important to you, include your values and convey your beliefs. Ideally, it will be brief enough for you to memorize it, but descriptive enough to have meaning. Below is an example of mine:

To live each day with faith, love and joy knowing that my success is defined by the richness of my relationships, the depth of my character and my belief that all things are possible.

Ready to develop yours? Here’s how:

• Reflect on peak experiences. Think about your past and times that you felt successful, fulfilled or especially blessed by an experience. Write about these times, and then attempt to identify some common themes, or values. The theme might be about what you were doing, who you were with, or how you felt.
• Now, look ahead. Consider what you want in the future. Who do you want to become? What do you want to accomplish this year, next year, in five years, and so on? What legacy do you want to leave for your children? Write down your vision and again, identify common themes or values that stand out.
• Develop your first draft. Write without stopping for 10 – 15 minutes. Try not to self-edit yourself. Simply pour onto paper everything, and anything, that comes to mind. Don’t worry about format, grammar or coherence.

Once you’ve written your draft, allow it to rest for a day or two. When you return to it, fine-tune it into a workable statement of one to three sentences. Then, consider asking someone close to you for feedback and make some final adjustments.

Now that you have a mission statement, it’s time to put it to use. Here’s how:

• Memorize it. Your mission is only useful when you know it. Take time to memorize your mission. Write it on index cards that are strategically placed on your bathroom mirror, in your car, in your purse, and on your desk at work.
• Make it a part of your weekly planning. Each week, as you sit down to plan your week ahead, have your mission statement with you. Use your mission statement determine whether an activity or appointment is aligned with your purpose. Often, you’re thrown off balance because you’re doing things that are not in line with your purpose, or mission.
• Live it; make it a habit. As you go through your day, seek ways to use your mission statement. For example, when your four year old son has a melt down in the middle of the grocery store, how would you respond if you were following your mission? Or, when your boss slams you with an urgent project at 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon, what is your response? In these instances, take a few moments to consider your mission statement and then choose a response that aligns with it.

Initially, using your personal mission statement will be challenging and uncomfortable. Change is this way. But, if you stick with it, you’ll realize how integrated your work-life can be.

Related posts:

1. Project Simplify: 80/20 it
2. The secret to a strong marriage
3. Take a break – for real

Tagged as: Balance, focus, personal mission statement