Does Your Family Have A Mission Statement?
While I’ve always been aware of the importance of having a personal mission statement, I was unaware of just how important it is to create a family mission statement. After all, how could several people with conflicting needs and interests all want the same thing?
Having a family mission statement is not only possible, but vitally important. The family is under attack like never before. The media, popular culture, lack of time, the rising divorce rate and even economic instability are all destroying families. Families seem to lack a sense of purpose and direction that makes life meaningful and gives children (and parents) a sense of identity. It also provides each individual within the family a wonderful sense of belonging to something greater than him or herself. I learned of the importance of having a family mission statement in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families” and also in “The Family Manager’s Guide For Working Moms”
Creating a family mission statement starts with you first. It requires quite a bit of thought and is best completed over several days. To help you get started, get a pen and a blank sheet of paper and answer the following questions.
1. Why does my family exist?
2. What values do I want to instill in my children?
3. What is my role and purpose as a Mother?
4. What would I like my family to say about me when I die?
5. What sort of atmosphere do I want our home to have?
6. What part do I want religion and spirituality to play in our life?
Use these questions to create a framework for your mission statement.
Once you’ve done that set up a family meeting and share you’re the questions and answers with them. Ask for their input. What do they feel is important? You may need to work on the mission statement for several family meetings before everyone agrees on it.
Try not to have a mission statement that is too long. You want all family members to be able to memorize it and to truly internalize it and most importantly, to live it each and every day.
My family mission statement is “The Averio family is dedicated to developing the full potential within each member. God is at the center of our home and at the heart of any decisions we make and actions we take. We value kindness, love, truthfulness, hard work and persistence. We strive to make our home a haven and a refuge, where we can rest, recharge and spend time together. Each day we strive to create wonderful memories that will last for a lifetime.”
Your family mission statement will probably be different from mine, but it must reflect what is truly important to you in order for it to be effective.
Go ahead and spend some time creating a family mission statement. The happiness and well-being of your family depend on it.
