The right number of items depends on your situation

The appropriate number of points in a mission statement varies from person to person and from season to season. There is no single answer such as “this many items is ideal.”
Do not tie yourself to an arbitrary quota. As you revise and polish your mission statement over time, it should naturally shift to match your circumstances.

Mission statements and tasks are like a constitution and its laws

When explaining the relationship between mission statements and tasks, it is often compared to the relationship between a constitution and laws.
Just as a constitution defines the nature of a nation and its people, and laws are enacted to spell out what must be protected or done in line with the current climate, a mission statement defines how an individual wants to live and tasks give concrete form to that intention.
Because a mission statement is your personal constitution, you could even summarize it in a single article such as “Lead a healthy, abundant life.”

It would be hard to condense a national constitution into one sentence

However, if you tried to reduce a national constitution to only a few items, it would not work.
For example, if Japan’s constitution consisted solely of the sentence “Let us build a peaceful and prosperous nation,” the sentiment might be fine, but trying to draft laws on that foundation would produce chaos.
Because countless people live in a country, everyone’s definition of “peace” or “prosperity” differs, and a single sentence cannot offer sufficient guidance.
A constitution that is shared by many must contain many articles.

Personal mission statements also benefit from several items

Even for a personal mission statement, one sentence may not always be enough.
For example, writing out specific actions such as exercising might make it easier to stay healthy.
Or, if you place more weight on mental health, it may be more effective to articulate attitudes you want to embody-like “be sincere” or “be generous.”
What level of specificity works best is something you discover as you create and use your mission statement.

When you start, one item or one line is fine

Even though you may eventually need several items, forcing yourself to write a long list from the start will stall your progress, and an overly grand first draft can feel unmanageable.
That is why I recommend beginning with a simple mission statement such as “Live a healthy, abundant life.”

Using it reveals the item count that works for you

Starting with just a few items encourages you to reflect on questions like “What does health mean to me?” and “What does abundance look like?” For example…
– “Tackle my business with a positive mindset”

  • “Express gratitude to the people around me”
  • “Keep improving my environment”
  • “Pay attention to my physical condition”
    …and so on. The wording will evolve into phrases that capture what health and abundance mean to you.

Rewrite it whenever you like

As of 2019, debate over revising Japan’s constitution shows no sign of ending. Regardless of where you stand, amending a constitution involves tremendous procedure. If you revise it, find that it fails, and then try again, the cost is enormous, which is why it is such a weighty matter.
In contrast, you can revise a personal mission statement at any time. If it is not working, you can always change it.
Viewing your mission statement as a “constitution” can create a pitfall: once set, you may hesitate to update it. Remember that the mission statement belongs to you. When you discover better wording or an idea you want to test, proactively rewrite it.

We will help you create and review mission statements whenever needed

Task Management Partner focuses on the “laws” side-tasks-but we also assist with the “constitution” side by helping you craft a mission statement.
If you feel reluctant to share it because it touches on deeply personal beliefs, that is perfectly fine-you are not required to disclose it.
Even so, we strongly recommend having a mission statement.
Daily life and work demand that you process countless tasks, and a good mission statement is essential to handling them well.
If you have found the idea of writing one troublesome or pointless, try creating it once through Task Management Partner’s services and experience the difference for yourself.