If you don’t have your own Core Purpose Statement (CPS), you’re missing out. Thinking of yourself as a “brand” like a company brand may seem unorthodox, but it makes a lot of sense. One of the things I encourage from the executives and companies I work with is a disciplined, “less is more” pursuit, and the best starting point for that is with a Core Purpose Statement. We live in a world of more, not less, and most of the time it feels as if everyone wants more from us, including professional colleagues, supervisors, friends, and family members. So much is made of agility, multitasking, and sheer speed of accomplishment these days, it’s easy to feel as if having a clear, overarching statement about what we’re doing here isn’t sufficient. But it is! Demands on us won’t diminish any time soon, and if anything, they’ll intensify. Your CPS helps you see clearly in a world full of distractions.

Having a CPS helps us all successfully navigate a fast-paced and often confusing world, and helps us pursue quality over quantity. In my opinion, the late Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is the greatest personal success book ever penned. This book asks us to “Begin with the end in mind,” which is what a CPS is all about. Equipped with a CPS, we’re better able to cope and can more readily filter out the superfluities that distract us from accomplishing our goals.

But simply having a CPS isn’t sufficient. You must reflect on it regularly and consistently, because this forces you to face yourself and define and clarify your own beliefs, values, and talents. The things we do in this world are ultimately tied to what we value, and not knowing what your values are constrains your success severely. What do you value? How can you transfer those values to the world around you? Whom do you want to affect positively? The act of believing, thinking about, writing about, and living your Core Purpose Statement is one of the most profound things you can do to facilitate success both in business and life in general.

Here are Five Great Examples of Core Purpose Statements of Successful People and Organizations

May they inspire you to develop the CPS that is perfect for you!

1. Amy Ziari is a marketing guru and founder of consulting agency Pasta. Her Personal Mission Statement is, “To live life with integrity and empathy, and be a positive force in the lives of others.”
2. John Rampton of Hostt.com helps individuals start their own businesses by offering web hosting services. His Personal Mission Statement says, “I want to make it so that every person in the world can afford to start their own business. Give people a cheap way to start a business and innovation will ignite in every nation.”
3. Utah lawyer Kimberly Washburn, who operates her own law firm, states her mission as, “to learn and understand my clients’ needs and the external factors affecting them so that I can aggressively and professionally represent them throughout the legal process. I clearly communicate my legal knowledge and experience, thereby enabling my clients to make well-informed decisions for themselves.”
4. Everyone is familiar with athletic clothing and equipment maker Nike, whose company mission statement is simply, “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
5. Likewise, most of us use online retailer Amazon frequently. Their organization’s mission statement is as follows: “Our vision is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

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