How To Create A Coaching Mission Statement That Inspires You
Your mission statement helps you stay motivated.
It encourages more clients sign up with you.
And, as your business grows, your mission statement also helps you build a great team.
Before you dive in, I created a fillable PDF worksheet to help you come up with your mission statement. Click the button to download it:
Let's get your mission statement pinned down once and for all, shall we?
What is a Coaching Mission Statement?
A mission statement is basically just a summary of why your company exists and what it does. It's different from a vision statement. Your vision is about what you want to achieve in the future, your mission is about how you hope to get there.
There are a lot of nebulous, corporate-sounding mission statements out there. We don't want one of those. We want to create a mission statement that's actionable.
For example, Warby Parker's mission statement is "To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially-conscious businesses."
That's great. It provides a clear description of what success looks like for the company. And it's only one sentence.
So the question you're probably asking at this point is...
How Do I Come Up With My Mission Statement?
There are two questions that you need to answer if you want to create a compelling mission statement:
1. Why did you originally decide to be a coach? (Purpose)
The first thing we need to get clear on is your Why: I call it your Coaching Purpose Statement. This statement should be focused on other people, not on yourself. So if one reason you got into coaching was to make millions and live on the beach, that's fine, but don't put that it in your mission statement.
Instead, focus on the bigger reason why you do what you do. What gets you out of bed in the morning? This purpose will become the foundation of your mission statement.
2. What problem does your coaching solve? (Niche)
Once you're clear on your coaching Purpose, you want to think about how the coaching you do contributes to that Purpose. If you have a coaching niche, this part of the mission statement should speak to that main problem you help clients solve.
Remember to frame what you do in terms of the results it gets for your clients.
Let’s summarize:
Coaching Purpose Statement + Niche = Coach Mission Statement.
List some different combinations and choose the one you like best. Then choose one and start distilling your mission statement down to one sentence.
Life Coach Mission Statement Examples:
Let’s get to some examples…
How about Peter Shallard, who calls himself The Shrink for Entrepreneurs?
Here’s a mission statement from the About page of Jenny Shih: “to help entrepreneurs realize that business doesn’t have to be so hard.”
From one of Rebecca Tracey’s sales pages at Uncage Your Business: “to help as many coaches and service providers as possible create a business on their terms.”
Coaching Vision Statement Definition And Examples
Once you have your life coaching mission statement, you can create a vision statement to go along with it. Your mission statement describes what you do and why. Your vision statement describes the future reality you hope to achieve as a result.
Your vision statement should be aspirational. Ask yourself, “What type of world do I want to live in?” By imagining a future that might exist, you help to make it real.
For example, a career coach might say, “I imagine a world in which the vast majority of people wake up excited to start work for the day.”
Here’s Marie Forleo’s vision statement: “We envision a world where every human being has the financial and emotional freedom to live life to the fullest.”
Note: The best vision statement examples often come from non-profits. Like this one from Cradles to Crayons: “One day every child will have the essentials they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued.”
Now It's Your Turn
Why did you originally decide to become a coach? What problem does your coaching solve? Answer those two questions and you're well on your way to creating an epic mission statement for your business.
Click the button below to download a fillable PDF worksheet based on this article:
