Comments on: How to Write a Personal Mission Statement: Part One http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/ Make Money. Do What You Love. Feel Great. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:39:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael L. Gooch http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583 Michael L. Gooch Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:33:14 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-583 Ryan, You missed the point. I was not bragging. I don't give a damn if you are "impressed" or not. In the last few years, I have noticed more and more people getting on the personal mission statement wagon. With the dynamics of our personal lives, I feel this is problem and have seen it as a huge waste of time and energy. I was attempting to show that you don't have to engage in this stupidity in order to succeed in life. The people I know at work and in my personal life that develop a personal mission statement are losers and are grasping at straws trying to turn their live into a positive experiance. If you don't agree with it - fine. You don't have to be a smartass about it. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com Ryan, You missed the point. I was not bragging. I don’t give a damn if you are “impressed” or not. In the last few years, I have noticed more and more people getting on the personal mission statement wagon. With the dynamics of our personal lives, I feel this is problem and have seen it as a huge waste of time and energy. I was attempting to show that you don’t have to engage in this stupidity in order to succeed in life. The people I know at work and in my personal life that develop a personal mission statement are losers and are grasping at straws trying to turn their live into a positive experiance. If you don’t agree with it – fine. You don’t have to be a smartass about it. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com

]]> By: Ryan http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-582 Ryan Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:31:29 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-582 Hey Michael, I'm trying to figure out the goal of your last post. Was it to express your opinion concerning the uselessness of mission statements, or to just brag about your accomplishments to an audience that doesn't care. You said you like setting goals e.g. beautiful wife, head of an HR department, etc. Isn't a mission statement for one's life just another overarching goal? All of Paul's examples seem like goals to me. I conclude that mission statements a type of goals, and you agree with setting them. Therefore, the point of your post couldn't have been your dislike of mission statements. Congrads on all your accomplishments! I'm sure your beautiful wife is proud. Maybe she should express it more often however, so you don't need to seek praise on a message board. Hey Michael,

I’m trying to figure out the goal of your last post. Was it to express your opinion concerning the uselessness of mission statements, or to just brag about your accomplishments to an audience that doesn’t care. You said you like setting goals e.g. beautiful wife, head of an HR department, etc. Isn’t a mission statement for one’s life just another overarching goal? All of Paul’s examples seem like goals to me.

I conclude that mission statements a type of goals, and you agree with setting them. Therefore, the point of your post couldn’t have been your dislike of mission statements.

Congrads on all your accomplishments! I’m sure your beautiful wife is proud. Maybe she should express it more often however, so you don’t need to seek praise on a message board.

]]> By: Michael L. Gooch http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-576 Michael L. Gooch Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:04:15 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-576 Paul, I give little credence to mission statements because as a veteran of the business world, they are useless. In fact, they are worse than useless because they drain time and energy from the people that must construct, revise and disseminate these strings of nebulous words. And no, my view is not popular among the VP and CEO types. Still yet, it is my view and it was formed from constructing a mission statement for Armco Steel back in 1975. This view has been fortified since by my experience at other companies. We may just have a difference in nomenclature. I certainly do believe in setting personal goals. Indeed, to write those goals down - that is, to put pen to paper is a good exercise. Years ago, I had a goal of marrying a beautiful, intelligent woman. That was 30 years ago and she is asleep in the next room. I had a goal of becoming the human resources director for a fortune 500 company. I have achieved that goal. I wanted a cattle ranch where I could raise registered angus cattle. Got that too. Two years ago, I set out the goal to write and publish a management book. It was published this month by Multi Media and I have two additional book contracts in work. As you see, I do think about who I am and what I want to accomplish. I just don't like mission statements. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com Paul,
I give little credence to mission statements because as a veteran of the business world, they are useless. In fact, they are worse than useless because they drain time and energy from the people that must construct, revise and disseminate these strings of nebulous words. And no, my view is not popular among the VP and CEO types. Still yet, it is my view and it was formed from constructing a mission statement for Armco Steel back in 1975. This view has been fortified since by my experience at other companies. We may just have a difference in nomenclature. I certainly do believe in setting personal goals. Indeed, to write those goals down – that is, to put pen to paper is a good exercise. Years ago, I had a goal of marrying a beautiful, intelligent woman. That was 30 years ago and she is asleep in the next room. I had a goal of becoming the human resources director for a fortune 500 company. I have achieved that goal. I wanted a cattle ranch where I could raise registered angus cattle. Got that too. Two years ago, I set out the goal to write and publish a management book. It was published this month by Multi Media and I have two additional book contracts in work. As you see, I do think about who I am and what I want to accomplish. I just don’t like mission statements. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com

]]> By: How to Write a Personal Mission Statement: Part Two | How to Make Money Doing What You Love http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-581 How to Write a Personal Mission Statement: Part Two | How to Make Money Doing What You Love Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:35:24 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-581 [...] How to Write a Personal Mission Statement: Part One [...] [...] How to Write a Personal Mission Statement: Part One [...]

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-580 Jonathan Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:54:40 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-580 I think the idea of a personal mission statement is a good one, even if one opts to keep it totally private. Having clearly focussed ideas is extremely important in my book, and as far as I am concerned anything that helps you stay focussed on your path is a good thing. I think the idea of a personal mission statement is a good one, even if one opts to keep it totally private. Having clearly focussed ideas is extremely important in my book, and as far as I am concerned anything that helps you stay focussed on your path is a good thing.

]]> By: Paul Piotrowski http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-579 Paul Piotrowski Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:29:52 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-579 @Michael L. Gooch: If the mission statement "Make Money / Have Fun" is what works for you, that's great. I don't think there's anything "pompous" about having a personal mission statement. I'm not saying you walk around with a sign on your forehead stating your mission statement and bragging how important you are for having one. I'm saying that living on this earth for 100 or so years without taking the time to really think about who you are and what you want to accomplish while you're here is kind of tragic. Since I've come up with my own personal mission statement, it's acted as a compass for me to help me make decisions in life and guide me towards the mission I have chosen for myself. It brought clarity to me, and this Blog wouldn't even be in existence if it wasn't for that process. @Michael L. Gooch: If the mission statement “Make Money / Have Fun” is what works for you, that’s great. I don’t think there’s anything “pompous” about having a personal mission statement.

I’m not saying you walk around with a sign on your forehead stating your mission statement and bragging how important you are for having one. I’m saying that living on this earth for 100 or so years without taking the time to really think about who you are and what you want to accomplish while you’re here is kind of tragic.

Since I’ve come up with my own personal mission statement, it’s acted as a compass for me to help me make decisions in life and guide me towards the mission I have chosen for myself. It brought clarity to me, and this Blog wouldn’t even be in existence if it wasn’t for that process.

]]> By: Michael L. Gooch http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-578 Michael L. Gooch Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:03:48 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-578 For me, it seems awful pompous of us to think that every organization is so unique and special that each one needs its own unique and special mission statement. It is so pretentious it’s painful to watch. And now we are doing mission statements for individuals. Good grief! Could you imagine the look on a trail boss’s face if you asked him for his mission statement prior to a trail drive? He might say, “What part of ‘sell these cattle in Omaha’ do you not understand?” I cannot help but laugh when I visualize cowboys sitting around a campfire developing a mission statement. Everything within an organization evolves. Processes change, customers change, management and leaders change, owners change. How can a mission statement realistically encapsulate all this evolution without being so nebulous as to be worthless? In case you are wondering, the mission statement on my ranch is this: Make Money / Have Fun. If this is not the mission, then why in the world am I doing it? All of the adjectives and descriptors that could be included in a mission I choose to simply call life. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com For me, it seems awful pompous of us to think that every organization is so unique and special that each one needs its own unique and special mission statement. It is so pretentious it’s painful to watch. And now we are doing mission statements for individuals. Good grief! Could you imagine the look on a trail boss’s face if you asked him for his mission statement prior to a trail drive? He might say, “What part of ‘sell these cattle in Omaha’ do you not understand?” I cannot help but laugh when I visualize cowboys sitting around a campfire developing a mission statement.
Everything within an organization evolves. Processes change, customers change, management and leaders change, owners change. How can a mission statement realistically encapsulate all this evolution without being so nebulous as to be worthless?
In case you are wondering, the mission statement on my ranch is this: Make Money / Have Fun. If this is not the mission, then why in the world am I doing it? All of the adjectives and descriptors that could be included in a mission I choose to simply call life. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs: Cowboy Wisdom for Today’s Business Leaders http://www.michaellgooch.com

]]> By: Janet http://www.paulymath.com/2008/06/09/how-to-write-a-personal-mission-statement-part-one/comment-page-1/#comment-577 Janet Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:50:30 +0000 http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/?p=163#comment-577 Very worthwhile and practical information you posted here. It's also worth mentioning that as your business evolves and you may need to revisit your mission to make sure you are on track.... Thanks for the insight. Very worthwhile and practical information you posted here. It’s also worth mentioning that as your business evolves and you may need to revisit your mission to make sure you are on track…. Thanks for the insight.

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