Many of us are familiar with a "Mission Statement" in regards businesses, but have you ever thought of creating one for your home? A mission statement is one of the most powerful tools you have for leading your business to success so why not create one for your home? The trick is knowing how to craft the perfect one! There are entire courses online or in colleges on how to write Mission Statements.
A meaningful personal mission statement contains two basic elements:
What you want to do? AND What do you want to be?
Ask yourself the following questions...
What do you want to accomplish?
What contributions do you want to make?
What character strengths do you want to have?
What qualities do you want to develop?
There are a few tips and tricks to nailing exactly the right wording to articulate your
vision and values. A mission statement takes the ‘why’ of what you do. It helps you understand your home’s value. And lastly, it helps you realize that your goals are achievable, and crystal clear.
1. Explore Your Style
• A home mission statement is about more than style, it’s about what you are drawn to visually and will lead you to deeper realizations about what you crave at home.
• Start collecting by creating an idea book or Pinterest folder to hold ideas,
• Write down what drew you to each image you save — Look for themes.
2. Tap Into Your Values
• What is important to you? What takes top priority in your life? Anything you hold dear
should find a welcome place in your home.
• For instance, if you are building a home and value your extended family, it might
be especially meaningful for you to make room for big family gatherings.
• Maybe caring for the planet is important for you. Think about ways to be more
eco-friendly at home
3. Define How You Want Your Home to Feel
• This is a bit different from the style question, and potentially more important. When you walk through the front door, what three words do you want to spring to mind?
• “Uncluttered,” “clean” and “serene”?
• “Welcoming,” “cozy” “comfortable”?
• Think about how you want your home to feel, freely jotting down any descriptive
words that spring to mind. Once you have a good list, narrow it down to your top
three words.
4. Clarify the Purpose of Your Home
• What role does your home play in your life? Is it where you decompress after working
long hours? The place where you are raising your children? Of course our homes serve
many purposes, but try to zero in on what your home’s primary purpose is (aside from
shelter).
• Write down the main purpose of your home, beyond providing you with basic shelter. If you like, add one or two additional roles that support the main purpose
5. Refine Your Answers
• Look over everything you have gathered so far, from style folders to brainstorms, and
begin searching for themes and key points that you might like to use in your mission
statement.
• Make a list of key words and phrases from your brainstorming and style folders. For
example: “kid friendly,” “fun,” “modern,” “farmhouse,” “laid back yet polished,” Etc…
6. Imagine Your Ideal Day at Home
• This exercise is a great way to put together all you have been learning about what you
like in a home.
• When you have a moment, close your eyes and visualize the ideal day in your house,
from waking in the morning to climbing into bed at night.- OK this never happens in real
life but let’s pretend..
• While imagining your perfect day at home, be sure to explore with all of your senses —
what do you see, hear, smell, touch and taste throughout the day? Who else is there?
What do you do?
7. NOW ...Write Your Homes Mission Statement
Pulling from the key points and themes you identified in your notes, begin writing your
home mission statement.
If you need a little nudge to get started, begin with “My home is a place where ... “ and
complete the statement.
If you feel you have more to add, just add another “My home is a place where ... “ and
keep going!
8. Put Your Mission Statement to Work
Once you have your mission statement written, how you choose to use it is up to you:
memorize it, write it in your calendar, have it made into an art print, stencil it
onto your stair risers post it on your bulletin board or share it with your family.
The most important thing is to keep it close enough to guide your decisions about
your home from here on out.