 July 13th 2007
 Ask The Readers
 6 comments
In the past I have talked about the GTD vertical map, and related to that, roles and responsibilities. One thing that GTD encourages is to write your life purpose/vision at the 50,000ft level. In other books it is often called a mission statement and is one the most common elements of any personal development program.
However recently I have been aiming to trim away some of the fat from my system, primarily evident in the latest iteration where I use a single sheet to do all my organizing. One thing I decided to leave off it is a box for defining a mission statement for my life. Even in the past when I did always write one down, I found little practical purpose to having one. So, I am curious to know if any of you guys have a mission statement, and if so how do you go about using it?
Reader discussion
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I do use a mission statement for the 50,000ft perspective. I tend to think of it as five-to-ten year goals for my life. My current statement was crafted through a very intense retreat process over two years ago. It stated, for example, that I would lead a team of pastors to plant a very large church in a North American city. It was not something I just dreamed up to do, but something I felt increasingly called to do (not like I’m giving myself a mission, but receiving and accepting a mission).
Last month, we moved to the Twin Cities metro area to do just that. And I have a team of pastors. It’s really amazing to see what I wrote way back then actually happening. It is very affirming and keeps my actions on track with the big picture.
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I do not. However, it is because of several failed attempts to actually create one that I like. I do prefer David Allen’s set up, and your PDF of the vertical map is something I am willing to give a try.
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Thanks for the comments guys. Jay, your own experiences have given me some interesting ideas to think about regarding mission statements. It doesn’t necessarily have to focus on what you want to do in your life, but how you ideally want to live it too. And Addy, let me know how you find my PDF template.
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I don’t know if you can call it a mission statement. I have a very structured mind so my mission statement is really just a bunch of master checklists (to use GTD terminology). Besides checklists I also have life promises (from Dr. Phil who I’m not a big fan of but I read his son’s book and I liked the concept). Stuff like “When I get sad I’ll…” It’s to keep me from uselessly experimenting with other stuff. Now, if I find that something works, it’s my permanent method. Since I like Covey’s four endowments so much I wrote down how I would use each of them in daily life too.
My first mission statements revolved around stuff like being happy. I can’t deal with that kind of vagueness. I prefer my lists, it’s easier to read.
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In a word, no. For me the higher level aspects of GTD just haven’t clicked, nor has a top-down approach. Not sure why…
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That’s a good point, the higher-level stuff is sort of neglected. Currently on my weekly planner I just have a box called goals and list any major things I am working towards. While I like the theory of the vertical map, I’ve never found it very practical.
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