The movements of everyday life naturally can keep you from reflecting if your family's actions are actually aligned with your core values and goals. Some days raising your kids and growing a family culture feels like you've taken 10 steps forward and then 10 steps back again... and then make 4 more!
Perhaps you're looking back on your family of origin and think, "wow, that really didn't work!" or maybe, "we really crushed it at community!". Whether you're in a new relationship, married without kids, or a full family with kids, a mission statement will help you shape your immediate family culture with intentionality and we're all about living each miracle of a breath with purpose!
Building a strong family culture is precisely where a mission statement comes in. A strong and well defined team knows what it is and what it is not. A strong and well defined team moves quickly in response to an ever changing environment to create the best outcome towards the stated goal (even if that goal is stillness). Take the time to craft a clear and easy to recall statement. One that reflects the unique values and aspirations of your family. This creates a touchstone with which to regroup orient the family's compass of decisions and actions.
Your parents, their parents, and their parents before them have had a huge impact on how your growing up years were experienced. Think about the unspoken rules, walls, fields, and/or dynamics of the culture of your family of origin. What were the rhythms or lack of rhythms. Now think about your parent's family culture. If you knew them, your grandparents family culture. What were the hard defining features? What were the more nuanced subtleties of their family culture that shaped them? This is your moment to chart a new course or build upon what your parents have built for you. So carve out time to dwell on how intentionality with your family mission, purpose, and values today will benefit humans that will exist years into the future. The moment is now, you're here reading this for a reason, will you choose to shape your home base for your family and for future generations of your family?
So how do you go about creating a family mission statement that truly encompasses the essence of your family? I would encourage you to let the process of creating a family mission statement be a fun-filled and intentional journey for everyone. Here are some tips from the fields of neuroscience and life coaching:
Focus on the human-element. A family mission statement is not simply about achieving goals or crossing items off a to-do list. Your mission statement is about the people in your family, what makes them unique, and the flavor of your family culture that weaves in and out of all the action decisions. While focusing on the human element here are a couple questions to get the process rolling: What are the values and aspirations that define each member of your family? How can you incorporate those values into your statement in a way that feels authentic and meaningful?
Make time for family activities. In order to truly connect with each other and understand each other's values and goals, it's important to make time for activities that bring the whole family together. This could be something as simple as a weekly game night or a monthly family outing. By spending quality time together, you can create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas in a more nuanced and natural manner.
Create a clear and concise vision. A family mission statement is a clear and concise sentence or two that outlines your family's core values and goals. Your mission statement should be specific enough to provide guidance, but also flexible enough to allow for growth and change. To create a strong vision, start by identifying the key values that define your family, and then use those values to craft a statement that reflects your shared aspirations.
Understand how your mission statement will shape your family's culture and identity. A family mission statement is not just a document – it's a living, breathing part of your family's culture and identity. As you work to create, develop, and implement your mission statement, it's important to understand how it will shape the way you interact and make decisions as a family. By aligning your actions and decisions with your mission statement, you can create a strong and cohesive family culture.
A family mission statement can take many different forms. The important part is that the mission statement reflects the unique values and goals of your family. By taking the time to craft a clear and inspiring mission statement, you can create that powerful touchstone to guide your family's decisions and actions. With a clear and inspiring statement to guide you, you can work together to achieve your goals and make your shared dreams a reality.
Creating a mission statement and shared values provides space for your family relationships to grow stronger and much deeper. We hope these ideas and provide a path to create healthier and incredibly dynamic relationships for you, your family, and the lives of those each of you engage with!
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