MADEFOR HIMA GUIDE TO DEVELOPING YOUR

PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

BY LEIGH ANN DUTTON

Copyright 2019 by Leigh Ann Dutton. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form

without written permission from the Author.

INTENTIONALBYGRACE.COM

Hello, Beautiful Lady! I am so excited you have decided to download this free resource on developing your own personal mission statement.

I have experienced such freedom since creating my mission statement many years ago, and I've been on a mission (get it?) ever since to help other women get crystal clear on their purpose, too.

As women, we were made to give life, but more often than not we're drowning in our to-do lists, driven by the next activity or event, and lonely because we have no time to cultivate meaningful relationships. I want to help you gain clarity, so you can start living the life you were created for.

In this download you will find a simple guide to help you develop a personal mission statement for your life. I've included examples from others as well as encouragement on why this matters so much.

I pray this free resource blesses you and encourages you on your life-giving journey of becoming the woman of God you were created to be.

BY GRACE ALONE,

Leigh Ann Dutton

Introduction

What are you living for?

Or a better question…

Why did God save you?

Do you know?

How can the reality of God be seen in your everyday life?

God calls, enables, and equips you to live on mission right where He has you.

Right in your own home, marriage, church, community, and job.

Living life on mission isn’t a position or calling for someone else.

It’s your calling.

You are a woman.

And you were made to give life.

God has uniquely designed you and equipped you for the purpose of growing life within you and nurturing life around you.

Our world needs you to be you.

Not the you that you are naturally, but the you that you are by grace.

Think about it.

I think we get so wrapped up in trying to be right, do right, and act right that we miss the beautiful reality that in Christ, we are a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

By grace, we are made new, and it is in this newness of life that we get to walk out our remaining days.

We have been redeemed by His blood, and we are being made new by the promise that His sacrifice was and is enough for us today.

God made you for a purpose.

Then, He redeemed you by the blood of His Son, so you can live that purpose in fullness of joy for His glory.

What is it you were made to do?

That's what we're going to figure out together.

You were called to freedom, sister.

"Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).

Our world needs you to know what you were made for.

So, let’s get to it!

What is a Mission Statement?

Early in our marriage, my husband and I were part of a church that was very intentional about teaching young people practical skills like planning, and one of the things they encouraged us to do was a yearly planning retreat.

During our first “Dutton Summit,” as our planning retreats came to be called, my husband encouraged me to spend some time creating a mission statement for my life. One of his college professors had walked his class through this exercise, and it really had an impact on him.

Of course, I looked at my husband like he had lost his marbles that snowy weekend in late December. I had just spent years creating boring mission statements to complete my Business Management degree. Mission statements were for business professionals and companies, not for normal people, and especially not for someone like me.

Why in the world did I need a mission statement?

Or better yet, what is a personal mission statement if it’s not reserved for boring businesses?

I didn’t create a mission statement that weekend. It would be years before I ventured back to my husband with a sheepish grin, and a softened heart, to ask if he’d tell me again about this thing called a personal mission statement.

Since that day, I’ve read countless books on how to create a mission statement, and I’ve learned a lot about what a mission statement is and what it isn’t.

A mission statement is an official statement of the aims and objectives of a business or other organization.

That’s the “official definition” of a mission statement.

But in plain terms…

Your mission statement tells why you exist and what principles will guide your life choices.

Your mission statement isn't going to answer what you're going to do with your life.

That's your life goals.

Your mission statement is the litmus test for all your decisions in life. It is what will determine if you lived life well or not.

Why You Need a Mission Statement

The mission God has for your life is intimate.

It is personal.

Every moment of your life, from your physical birth to your new birth to the moment you are in now, has been ordained by God for a purpose.

Life on mission - what you are living for and why you were made - is about purpose.

“Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” -Tim Kizziar

Without a clear mission, you will wander aimlessly through life without direction, or perhaps worse still, you will succeed at things that don't matter.

You can be really good at what you’re doing, but is it what God made you for?

Developing a personal mission statement is about personal leadership.

And this is the key: knowing the difference between personal leadership and personal management.

Personal leadership is about defining what is most important in your life based on what God says, and not first on what you (or others) think.

Then, personal management bases your day-to-day decisions on this defined reality.

Being able to do both of these things (personal leadership and personal management) is the key to living intentionally, the key to succeeding at things that matter.

The thing is that the gospel changes everything.

What was once the ruling passion of your life - self and all it entails - no longer holds you in its grips.

Your salvation is secure.

You're not striving to earn a single thing anymore, and you're now free to simply worship God and love others.

Isn't that amazing?

All of us as women, were made to give life. It's the essence of who we are as women.

God created us and defined our purpose, and it's our job to know it, embrace it, and state it in such a way that captures our individuality and uniqueness.

God didn’t save you just for Heaven, but also for His kingdom here on earth.

It’s your job to figure out why and start living it!

Your mission statement is your non-negotiable. It is what you stand by 100% and what you want your life to stand for.

So, how about we start developing your mission statement?

How Do I Write a Mission Statement?

As you begin the process of developing your personal mission statement, it is important to remember that your purpose has already been defined for you by God.

He created you, and it's your job to know that purpose, embrace that purpose, and live that purpose as the woman of God you were created to be.

In the following pages, I am going to guide you through journaling and brainstorming exercises to help you develop your personal mission statement.

When you’re done, you should be able to answer these four questions:

1. Who are you?

2. Why you are here?

3. Where are you going to end up?

4. What principles will guide your life?

Before you flip the page and start in on the exercises, pray and ask God to help you to discern His will, so that you may know what is good and acceptable and perfect for your life as His created woman.

If you can partner this time with a time of fasting, then I recommend doing that as well.

Brainstorm

give life!MADE TO

Now that you have spent some time in prayer. Write below some initial thoughts, ideas, and desires burning inside you. Don't hold back. Write whatever comes to mind when you think about your God-given mission.

Determining Your Roles

give life!MADE TO

Next, use the questions below to determine your current roles and responsibilities. This exercise will help answer the questions about who you are and why you are here. As you fill out the next few pages, look for themes to emerge.

List below each of your roles. A role is defined by what it is you are responsible for in your life. For example, what is your role, or function, in your family (wife, mother, daughter), church (member, leader), work (homemaker, marketing director, writer), or society (community member, volunteer)? List all of your roles and responsibilities below .

List Your Roles:

One of the biggest shifts for me in the last decade has been the realization that my roles and responsibilities aren't just things I do, but they are my life's calling.

Your roles are your calling.

As a woman, you are made to give life, and you are called to do that within the various contexts and responsibilities God has placed you in.

This is a privilege that brings such wonderful purpose and meaning to your everyday life.

Grouping Your Roles

give life!MADE TO

Role Group: Role Group: Role Group: Role Group: Role Group:

Using your list of roles from the previous page, group them together according to their likeness below. Then give each group a name. You can use the bullet pointed notes below as well as my example to help you.

Tips for Grouping Your Roles

In the past, I would have encouraged you to "prioritize" your roles, listing them in a sort of hierarchy-style list.However, I have since learned that this creates confusion about the importance of each role, elevating some over others, when our roles should be working in a beautiful symbiotic relationship as led by the Holy Spirit.

Once you've grouped your roles together, give each group a name. For example, I group my goals by the following: individual, family, church, social, and work.

Pray through the list of roles and responsibilities and ask God to speak into these areas of your life.

Remember personal leadership is about doing what God says, and not first what you (or others) think.

Is there anything on your lists that shouldn't be there? If there is role or responsibility that doesn't need to be there, then cross it off and put it on your to-do list as a note to make plan for eliminating this from your plate, if needed.

Is there anything that needs to be added to your list? A role or responsibility you've felt the Holy Spirit leading you that you have yet to say, "yes" to?

Grouping Your Roles

give life!MADE TO

Role Group: Role Group: Role Group: Role Group: Role Group:

Using your list of roles from the previous page, group them together according to their likeness below.

Spiritual growth & character

Planning & Work Flow

Learning

Rest

Keep my tank full

Travel & adventure

Wife

Mother

Homeschool

Household

Extended Family

Individual Family Church

Health

Small Group Leader

Women's ministry

Member

Social

Friend

Friday at the Table Host

Community

Fight injustice, poverty, and oppression (social good)

Work

Writing & publishing

Speaking & teaching

Strategic planning

Project mgt.

Networking

Professional development

E X A M P L Efrom my brainstorm session

Clarifying Your Roles

give life!MADE TO

Now that you've gotten a good idea of your roles and responsibilities, and you've put them together into logical groups, it's time to start clarifying your roles. The next few exercises will help you begin to determine where you're heading in each of these roles, or rather where you want to end up, as well as what principles will guide you in these roles. First I want you to pray, brainstorm, and dream a little bit. I've provided you with a brainstorm worksheet you can print off as many times as you need. I suggest starting with one brainstorm page per core role. For example, I would print off a brainstorm page for individual, family, church, social, and work. Then I would just sit down and write out any desires I have for each of these areas of my life. Why am I in these roles? What impact do I want to have in these roles? What principles are guiding me and what principles do I want to guide me? When you are finished, write out an action statement or objective for each of your core roles and responsibilities. You can use the worksheet provided. Print off as many as you need. Here are some examples from my own life:

Role:

Objective:

Wife

To intentionally love my husband by affirming his leadership, passionately pursuing him and meeting his needs, and partnering with him to fulfill God’s call on his life.

The purpose of this exercise is to simply define what is most important to you. Writing something on paper gives it weight and priority. It says, "This is important to me" even when I'm "failing" at everything else. This matters.

Role:

Objective:

Work

To inspire others to joyfully commit to living life intentionally bygrace for the glory of God through my writing, hospitality, and mylife. May every action make the Gospel attractive.

Brainstorm Role:

give life!MADE TO

Now that you have spent some time in prayer. Write below some initial thoughts, ideas, and desires burning inside you. Don't hold back. Write whatever comes to mind when you think about your God-given mission in this area of your life. Print off as many of these pages as you need.

Clarifying Your Roles

give life!MADE TO

Role:

Role:

Role:

Role:

Role:

Objective:

Objective:

Objective:

Objective:

Objective:

Write Your Mission Statement

give life!MADE TO

Now it’s time to pull it all together into a mission statement. Don’t worry about perfection! I have tweaked my mission statement form time-to-time as I have grown in my understanding of who God is and who He has made me to be. Your mission statement should remind you of your God-given purpose, encourage you to persevere when the going gets tough, and inspire you to succeed at things that really matter. Your mission statement is your litmus test for all life decisions. Here is my mission statement with its guiding principles:

To accomplish this mission, I am committed: To intentionally pursuing Jesus, by daily emptying myself of me and kneeling before my maker in humble pursuit of His purposes for my life, relationships, and home. To intentionally loving my husband by affirming his leadership, passionately pursuing him, and partnering with him in gospel-ministry. To intentionally nurturing, loving, and cherishing my children, training them up in the ways of the Lord so that they will be effective ministers of the Gospel. To intentionally managing my home, making it a tangible reflection of God’s beauty and grace for my family and all those the Lord brings our way. To intentionally cultivating an atmosphere of love, learning, and passion in our home by being an encourager, example of humility, and the first to forgive. To intentionally inspiring women to give life with their words, actions, and attitudes through my writing, speaking, and my life. I believe I am forgiven and free in Christ, and I believe I was made to give life. May everything I do reflect the heart of God for His people.

My mission is to make it impossible to not think about God in all I do no matter the difficulties or circumstances.

Write Your Mission Statement

give life!MADE TO

Your mission statement can be longer or shorter, more detailed, or more broad. But it should pull together your themes and threads that you've been uncovering in your brainstorming and prayer time. There is really no right or wrong way to do this. Well, yes, there is a wrong way. You don't do it at all. That would be the wrong way. I like how Matt Perman says it in his book, What's Best Next: "The ultimate foundation of your mission statement is not your character or even correct principles. It's what God has done for you in Christ and the fact that, if you believe in Christ, God is now your Father (Matt. 6:9; 6:26; 6:32; 7:11). Further, knowing that heaven is secured for us and that we are going to end up there with Jesus forever motivates because it casts a vision for where we are going -- and does so on the basis of what Jesus did, not on what we do." There is freedom even here in this moment of creating a mission statement for your life because you really don't need to figure it out. You simply need to ask God for wisdom and let Him illumine your path that He has made for you. Then, go walk in it.

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father

who is in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16

My Mission Statement

give life!MADE TO

My mission is:

To accomplish this mission, I am committed:

I believe:

What to Do with Your Mission Statement

Now that you have developed a personal mission statement, you will want to refer to it often.

My mission statement fills the first page of my planner and prayer notebook, and I keep a copy taped to my desk where I can see it regularly.

Other ideas for displaying your mission statement:

• Hang it on the refrigerator• Frame it as a wall decoration• Post it on your bathroom mirror• Put it in your prayer journal or Bible• Put it with your master calendar• Use it as a background on your phone or computer

ConclusionBecause of my mission statement, I am no longer left to wonder if what I’m doing matters, if what I’m doing is drawing me closer to God’s heart for me or keeping me away.

My mission statement is the foundation by which all of my other plans and routines are established.

In the end, your mission statement will be your go-to resource when making decisions.

Sometimes, or maybe even often, you are going to be presented with some pretty amazing opportunities.

Before saying yes, ask yourself if it’s in line with your mission and priorities.

If it is, then go for it.

If it’s not, then give a confident, “No,” to what’s being asked of you.

Something I've been repeating to myself (and others as appropriate) is:

Stay in your lane.

There are so many things you could be doing, maybe even need to be doing, and even more that others think you should be doing.

But the truth is that you are made and fashioned by God to do that which He created you for.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Because the mantra, “Who you are matters more than what you do” is pretty much a lie.

It is from what we treasure in our hearts and what we know in our minds that our actions flow.

So who you are is what you do.

Sure, we make mistakes, but in the end, we are called to a purpose.

Each one of us has work to do that has been ordained by God, and I don't know about you but I want to do the work He has for me.

I want to stay in my lane and cheer on others around me doing the work they were made to do.

I want to give life.

And I want you to do the same.

You are a woman, and you were made to give life.

Now, go be the woman of God you were created to be.

Made to give life!

Creating a mission statement is a great first step to becoming the woman of God you were created to be, but unless you set goals and make a plan on following through on your mission statement all year long, this resource will remain an underutilized tool in your life-giving tool belt. So, if you would like to use this mission statement to its fullest potential, I want to show you how with a step-by-step guide to setting up your year for the greatest impact through seasonal goal planning. Seasonal goal planning takes your big ideas and breaks them into bite-size pieces so you can follow through on them right now, right where you are whether you’re up to your eyeballs in diapers and babies or juggling the demands of a job and taking care of your parents. The Made to Give Life Seasonal Goal Planner is intentionally designed to help you get crystal clear on your goals, so you can breathe life back into your family, your church, and your community this year. Who doesn’t want to breathe better?

MADE TO GIVE LIFE SEASONAL GOAL PLANNER

by Leigh Ann Dutton

Click here to learn more >>

- T I M K I Z Z I A R

"Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of fai lure but

of succeeding at things in l i fe that don't matter.

INTENTIONALBYGRACE.COM