Chapter 8

Creating your Mission Statement. It sounds like something out of an organisations policy and procedures folder doesn’t it. But, I want you to think of this as being about you.

Your mission statement tells you who you are, your values, beliefs and your purpose. You need just one. Mission statements play a part in your decision making. They direct you in the type of work you want to do, your voluntary work, the learning you aspire to achieve, the qualifications. They help determine who you have as your friends and who you will collaborate with. They help you decide what you are willing to accept and what you won’t.

The one you write today may change over time; I know mine has. Nothing stays the same forever. We grow up. We have life experiences. We change course; direction. Your moral compass becomes your guide; your personal map of self-discovery. Through your mission statement you embed your future.

Perhaps now more than any other time in history, we need to understand our true self, our authentic self. Your past is important. Your future, more so.

When beginning your mission statement, you need to dig deep. Take time to think about who you are. What defines you; your values and beliefs; your life ethics; what drives you; what motivates you and ultimately what keeps you going when you really want to give up. Take your time writing this. It should be clean lines, straightforward and easily brought to mind. It should say everything you want to say about who you are. It should be your persona; your outward image. It should build trust in others and confidence in yourself.

Take your time. Experience life, recognise what makes you smile, frown or worse angry. These are the starting points of your mission statement. Don’t expect this to happen overnight, it may take months. I expect it to take months, if you are to do it justice.

Writing your own mission statement is not easy. It can be pretty challenging at times, especially if you realise what you are doing now doesn’t relate to your authentic self. Your true self. If this is you. Don’t give up. Instead start to work on yourself. It’s been a long time coming.

Think big. No negative words can be written. No negative thoughts can be thought. Then when you have everything you need and you’ve exhausted all your ideas, bring it all together in a few sentences. If you have more than one idea about what you want your future self to look like, that’s fine. You will build on it over time.

Think about where you get your identity from?

Mine is definitely from my role as a nurse. But I also get it from my family. My reputation is phenomenally important to me. It’s important others see me as being trustworthy, tenacious, respectful and compassionate. It’s important that others see me as being courageous in my actions. It’s important I do the right thing, in the right way. Always.

Being accountable and autonomous in my actions excites me. Having the freedom to the best I can be and achieve my absolute potential motivates me.

And always remember, you are only human. Having a mission statement doesn’t mean we will always achieve it, just that we will aspire to achieve it. Most of the time we will.

My Personal Statement.

This gives me a sense of purpose. A sense of direction. It is my true north.

My personal statement empowers me to be the highest and the best use to others. It enables me to engage in collective action, to see the bigger picture, to serve others first.

It enables me to be the very best I can be, every single day.

Through my actions I seek out new opportunities. I act with courage, demonstrate compassion and empathy, listen, and know when to be quiet.

I know when to celebrate life’s successes. And in so doing I seek out my true potential. A path of true enlightenment.

I approach each connection with joy, energy and commitment. My drive is palpable.
I write with humility. I share my experience and knowledge with others. Through my life’s work I empower, mentor, support, create. Each and every one of these matter to me.

Having undertaken this exercise, you should now be in a position to think about your elevator pitch.

Your Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is the time you have to tell someone when travelling in an elevator [or lift], about what you do. It should take between 30 seconds to two minutes. I would keep it to about one minute.

It is a short verbal piece about who you are, what you do, and why you do it. It helps create interest in you. It should be memorable and succinct and should meet the needs of everyone you meet. It should say something about you; your skills, attributes and your focus.

It should say what you can do. It can open doors to other conversations, work and new job opportunities. You should be able to use it anytime, anywhere and anyplace that an opportunity arises. You should know when to use it.

In this ever-increasing challenging world in which we find ourselves, people want to know who can help them and are willing to pay for quality service.

Identify your goal. What do you want to achieve through your elevator pitch?
What is your unique selling point? It may take a while to determine this. Take that time.
Determine how people will benefit from your skills and make clear why your role is important and why now.

Encourage engagement. Determine what you want the recipient of your key message to do. The best way to do this is with a question so in some way they have to reply.

When complete, read it in real time. Ask others what they think. Change, adjust and readjust, until it is perfect and then memorise it. Practice it in front of the mirror. What does your body language portray, the tone of your voice, your stance? Are they all compatible with this person who can bring about change for the better for others as well as themselves?

I have several depending on what avenue I want to follow.

This is just one of them. Although this is a little in the future. I am working on it.

I work with successful women to maximise their potential. I do this through empowering women to be the best they can be. I encourage women to be courageous in their actions, motivated through performance; to set life changing goals and build confidence in their ability to maximise their potential. My actions enable women to transition from ordinary to extraordinary. I do this through my role as a Coach and through my professionally designed digital courses.