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August 27, 2020Experts say a mission statement is important for successful businesses because it is a way to direct a business in the right direction and make sound decisions. Deacon John Harned, a certified public accountant, said a personal mission statement can change focus to help create a positive and productive direction.
In a column for CPA Focus magazine titled, “Charting a course for success: How to seek and sustain the best version of you,” Deacon Harned explained how his personal mission statement opened new doors for him, and led him to advocate for senior living centers, eventually becoming a licensed nursing home administrator and deacon.
“I was a partner in a large public accounting firm guided by my personal mission statement. While in that role, I began pursuing a master’s degree in theological studies. It was a rigorous program, so it was important to use my personal mission statement to avoid distractions and prioritize what mattered most,” Harned said.
Eventually, Harned realized he wanted to serve seniors directly. This led to a career change that ultimately included serving in roles in retirement communities and an 80 percent reduction in pay. All the while, his family life grew stronger, and what mattered became much clearer.
He applied to become a deacon and began formation in the permanent diaconate program. He was ordained a deacon in November 2017.
“My personal mission statement has guided my faith, family and career decisions. Regular reflection on my mission has really helped guide my life,” he said.
Harned said it is important to craft a personal mission statement to give direction, to know what to stand for and how to invest time and resources. This type of guiding principle can help you accomplish goals and chart a course for success, he said. A personal mission statement can assist in measuring progress toward what matters most, while also uncovering areas that may need more focused attention. He continued, it can be a grounding force, helping people avoid distractions that pull their valuable time away from priorities, like God and family.
Harned added that it is important for a personal mission statement to be easy to remember and guide daily decisions, leading to a to-do list from the mission statement. Focusing on a mission statement can bring peace. Focusing on what matters most, and avoiding things that cause distractions, can lead to harmony in a family.
“My six-word mission statement is simply to ‘Passionately serve God, family, seniors, community.’ Since seven is a perfect number, and we are not perfect, I think it important to keep it to six words. This short-and-sweet mission has shaped my entire professional and personal life. Having a short mission statement, I can take it with me wherever I go. So, when faced with a challenging decision, I bounce it up against my mission statement to see if it matches. When it matches, I can move forward. If it doesn’t, I have a polite way of saying ‘No, thank you.’”
According to Deacon Harned, there are important things to consider when creating a personal mission statement:
n What are your strengths?
n What do you enjoy the most?
n With unlimited time what would you choose to do?
n What are the most important things to you?
n What things can you do that are of the greatest worth to others?
n What are your important roles in life?
n What are your lifetime goals?
n What would you like to do with your life?
n What are the most important values you use to guide your actions?
After people spend time asking these questions, they can summarize answers into a four-sentence paragraph. Then summarize that paragraph into a six-word mission statement.
Once a person has formulated a personal mission statement, Deacon Harned offers this advice, “I include mine on a four-by-four inch ‘tile’ and keep it on my desk to give direction each day. Look at your to-do list each day and make sure you are focusing on some of the elements in your mission statement. At a minimum you should be able to point to every area in your mission statement during every week. That is how you achieve your goals over time.”
Read Deacon Harned’s full article by going to soonercatholic.org.
Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
