Thinking SMARTly about your future

In business, successful companies use vision and mission statements collectively to encapsulate long-term goals and the actions that will help achieve those goals. Working in conjunction, these two statements guide critical operations and decisions. In times of uncertainty, companies rely on them to remain or get back on track and stay the course.

Drawing from these parallels in business, personal vision and mission statements can be powerful tools you can use to take control of your future.

If the vision statement is the destination on a map, the mission statement is the collection of signposts that guide the way. As you look towards your future, it can be helpful to break your plans into three phases: short-term or immediate needs within the next 6 months to 1 year, mid-term or 1 to 5 years out, and long-term beyond 5 years. Consider where you want to be, what you want to be remembered for, what impact you hope to have, and then work backward.

To generate your personal vision statement, start by looking ahead at your life several years, even decades in the future and, using those thoughts, come up with a short paragraph that captures the highlights. Two or three sentences is more than enough (some of the best vision statements I have seen accomplish this in just one). Be specific when possible, but not so specific that there is only one path to success. If you want to be a high-powered legal professional, your vision might be to become a partner in a prestigious law firm or a federal judge. With that as a baseline, go further, broader, and consider a statement that reflects the possible outcomes a person in such a position might have. An example vision might be: “I wish to be remembered for my role in judicial decisions that impacted American lives in a positive way.”

Once you have your vision documented, think next about what it will take to achieve that vision. What would or should you do on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis to ensure your vision is successful? Continuing with the legal professional example...to be remembered for impactful decisions...there are obvious steps in that process (LSAT preparation, law school, internships, judicial clerkships, etc) but consider some of the not-so-obvious steps as well (negotiation and debate skill, advocacy work, political campaign participation, and the like). Combine those steps into three to five sentences that will outline the actions you should be taking on a regular basis to be sure you remain on a path to achieve your vision. An example mission might be: “Welcome regular interactions with others that espouse opposing viewpoints and engage in healthy debate with a win-win attitude.”

This exercise isn’t meant to be completed in one sitting. Sit on your first drafts and allow yourself time to refine each one until you are satisfied with the final versions. Understand that your vision is aspirational while your mission can be transitional. That is, your vision should not change over time, but your mission may change as the circumstances of your situation deem necessary. Once you have crafted both statements, write them on sticky notes and place the notes in a conspicuous location in your home like a bathroom mirror. Hopefully, seeing these statements on a regular basis will enable you to keep the big picture in focus even as life attempts to blur the details.