Calling all parents with a mission

If you are a parent you are on a mission. It begins when you first find out you are going to be a parent and becomes solidified the day you first look into the eyes of your child. This is serious stuff you are responsible for the well being and development of another individual. Are you going to approach this recklessly, without a plan or concept of what kind of parent you want to be? I think not. Like most parents you probably spent a great deal of time prior to the delivery of your child running through scenarios in your mind, asking questions of other parents, (maybe even your own) reading parenting magazines and books, and spending hours surfing the web looking for information in order to become a “good” parent. I have put the word good in quotes because that is what your mission statement should help you to answer. Similar to a best in Class Corporation your parental mission statement should sum up and solidify your vision of the parent you want to be.
Open your mind to envision the best parent you can be. Now take out a piece of paper or open up notepad on your computer and start to jot down some action words that will define you as a parent such as: loving, compassionate, disciplined, supportive. You can find a more exhaustive list at timethoughts

Your list will help you to determine what you value most as a parent and shape the key points of your mission statement.

While there are no specific rules for writing your mission statement here are some guidelines that will help you create a concise, positive, emotional, and inspiring Mission Statement

• Keep it simple, clear and brief. The best mission statements tend to be 3 to 5 sentences long.
• Your mission statement should touch upon what you want to focus on and who you want to become as a parent in this part of your life. Think about specific actions, behaviors, habits and qualities that would have a significant positive impact in this part of your life over the next one to three years.
• Keep it positive. Instead of saying what you don't want to do or don't want to be, say what you do want to do or become. Find the positive alternatives to any negative statements.
• Create a mission statement that will help guide you in your day-to-day actions and decisions as a parent.
• Make it emotional. Including an emotional payoff in your mission statement infuses it with passion and will make it even more compelling, inspiring and energizing.

Your mission statement is a living document. It will continue to change and evolve as you gain insights about yourself and what you want out of each part of your life.

Below are two sample mission statements can you guess who they are from:

"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world If you have a body, you are an athlete."

"We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people all ages, everywhere."