I look at a personal vision statement as a concise description of the kind of person I want to become written as if I have already achieved my goals for growth. The mission statement gives us a guiding hand of what kind of person you want to become. The vision statement helps us visualize who we want to be.

The second step, after developing a personal mission statement is to get in touch with your spiritual center, and verify that you really want to become the person you hope to become. Reading of scripture, books, prayer, and meditation are all tools which can be used to get in touch with your spiritual self.

The third step in creating a vision statement is to compress your verified goals, hopes, dreams, and desires into a few targeted sentences, written from the perspective of having achieved them.

An example of a vision statement would be, “I am a person who listens to the spirit, is loving, and seeks to build others up.”

Creating a vision statement becomes a way to remember who you want to be. You can keep it in your head, and use it to help guide your actions, and decisions. You are well on your way to establishing your personal identity.

Like the mission statement is a work in progress which changes as you grow and learn, a vision statement should grow and change as you do. Remember to review your mission statement regularly to keep it in your mind. Give yourself time to ponder changes. Use it in your weekly and daily planning activities.

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Related posts:

1. Developing a Personal Mission Statement – Personal Identity
2. Me, Myself and I: Visually Speaking That is, Creating a Personal Logo – Personal Identity

Many people wonder at the expense of time in developing a mission statement for themselves. After all life moves fast, and there is so much to do. The minutia of life, the endless things which need to be done scream for attention, and if left unchecked will consume our lives.

One way to keep what is important to ourselves is to create a mission statement, which is a summary of our values, goals, relationships, and what we would like to accomplish with our lives. I believe that life is like a jar full of rocks, pebbles, sand, and water. If the rocks do not go in first, then they will never fit. If the pebbles do not go in next then they will never fit. If the sand does not go in last, then it will never fit. If the water goes in first it will be displaced as other things call for our attention. Finding balance is the key to finding success.

A mission statement is composed of values. A value is a personality trait which you posses or you desire to cultivate. One way to discover values that are important to you are to meditate or pray. Tapping into your spiritual core is a great way to discover what is important to you. Listen to your inner voice which inspires you. Some common values which lead to mission statements are honesty, integrity, inspiration, and hard work.

The next step in developing a mission statement is to take your values, and write out a sentence defining clearly what your values mean to you.

Now that your values are clearly defined put them together in a mission statement. As every person is unique, every mission statement should be unique as well. I suggest that if you feel like you are copying someone else’s mission statement, that you need to go back and connect with yourself to have a mission statement which will drive and motivate you.

Mission statements should never be considered finished. As you discover new things about yourself, your mission statement should change and develop. Revisit your statement regularly for guidance, and to make sure it is still connects with you.

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Related posts:

1. Developing a Personal Vision Statement – Personal Identity
2. Me, Myself and I: Visually Speaking That is, Creating a Personal Logo – Personal Identity

Communicating visually has been an important part of human history. Dynastic Egypt used a symbol known as a Serekh. A Serekh was created for Royalty. These rectangular hieroglyphs were used to distinguish each ruling family apart. Egyptians placed the god Horus on the top, the name of the reining King in the middle, and the palace of the rule on the bottom. Serekhs were used to relay the necessary message of royal power. Later versions added an epithet within each glyph.

Army units of the Roman Empire painted their shields (also known as a Scutum) distinctive colors and shapes. These colors and shapes made it possible to tell the different military units apart. In Europe, and various other parts of the world, where there has been European influence Arms have been used to identify people, and in some cultures families visually for centuries. Mon, monsh, mondokoro, and kamon are Japanese heraldic symbols. Each family would have a kamon, and the designs were always circular, and involved plants, or abstract designs.

To help people develop their own logo I have created the Logo Development Sheet. This design contains two pages and you can use the link at the end of this article to download the files to your computer. Use Page one to brainstorm ideas for what you want your logo to contain. Use Page two to sketch and draw a rough idea of your logo. In addition, I found the book D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself an enormous help in learning good design techniques.

A logo can be designed in many different ways. You can use text, images or abstract scribblings to create a logo. I suggest that you design your logo in black and white as well as color. Doing so makes your logo more versatile. You might want to design it at the smallest size you think you’ll use your logo at, as well. This allows you to make sure that all essential elements are visible.

When I designed my logo, I kept it simple by choosing a few elements that were important to me.

1. Computer: I like computers, radios, and technology.
2. My initials: To remind my audience of who I am.
3. My Scottish Clan Tartan: I am proud of my Scottish heritage and wanted to show this connection. Therefore, in the larger (and color) versions of my logo, I added the tartan to it as well.

I also took my own advice and kept my initial logo in a black and white design because I wanted something simple. I added the color design of my Scottish tartan later. As as result, my logo is very versatile. It’s on my website, as well as in the header of my resume. I also added it to any printed materials like my business cards and brochures. I’ve even used my logo for a QSL card to allow other Ham Radio Operators know who I am.

What you see when you look at my logo? Do you have one of your own? If you have one of your own, what design principles did you use? Feel free to share your designs and thoughts with the rest of us.

bookmark to:

Related posts:

1. Me, Myself and I: Visually Speaking That is
2. Developing a Personal Mission Statement – Personal Identity
3. Developing a Personal Vision Statement – Personal Identity