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is no framework to reach any firm resolution (Perry, 1999).
However, with time, young adults develop a framework which
may involve weighing the pros and cons of different perspec-
tives and eventually committing to principles in the context of
one's own life. The result is an endpoint that Perry termed,
commitment. The committed adult has a secure mission and
well articulated value system to guide their choices and actions.
There is a sense of security with this framework-particularly if
one has gone through a period of self-exploration.
Developing a Personal Mission Statement
In urging readers to “begin with the end in mind, “Covey
(2004) uses the hypothetical experience of attending his own
funeral and listening to his eulogy as presented by one of his
children. In developing a mission statement, the focus should
be on how the person would want to have contributed by the
end of their life. However, an effective mission statement is
also a type of internal compass. It should be broad enough to
capture key values but specific enough to guide important life
decisions. Issues such as choosing a university, a major field of
study, continuing or ending a relationship, becoming a parent,
or changing jobs can be made with greater security and confi-
dence if they are guided by core principles.
As noted above, a useful exercise to begin reflection on a
mission statement is to encourage students to imagine that they
are attending their own funeral. They are asked to imagine their
own eulogy and whether it reflects the values and goals that
they wish to embody. Additionally, students are asked to con-
sider the multiple roles they occupy such as spouse/intimate
partner, child of their parents, friend, and community member.
in addition to their vocation, students are encouraged to con-
sider they legacy that they would like to leave in each of these
positions. For those students who find this task challenging, a
few characteristics (“respected, trusted, dependable, loyal,
committed to excellence, etc”.) often will help students articu-
late their own values.
As part of the course, the instructor presented formal infor-
mation about the content and importance of a personal mission
statement. To assist students, they were presented with three
radically different mission statements by distinct personalities:
Gandhi, Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster, and the heavy metal
band, Metallica.
Gandhi’s mission statement and values are as follows:
Let the first act every morning be to make the following
result for the day:
I shall not fear anyone on earth.
I shall fear only God
I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
I shall conquer untruth by truth.
And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.
As a pronounced contrast and to engage students, the mission
statement of the Cookie Monster was also shared:
Rule the world
Get lots of cookies
Eat the cookies
Get more cookies
Eat those cookies too
In a further illustration of the diversity of mission statements,
students viewed the documentary, “Some Kind of Monster”
depicting the heavy metal band, Metallica, as they came to-
gether to make a new recording. Despite multiple conflicts
between members, the band was ultimately successful in pro-
ducing one their most acclaimed recordings, “St. Anger.” As
part of the process, one of the members generates a mission
statement for the band:
We come now to create our album of life…throughout our
individual and collective journeys- sometimes through pain and
conflict—we have discovered the true meaning of family. As we
accomplish ultimate togetherness, we become healers of our-
selves and the countless who embrace us and our message. We
have learned and we understand. Now we must share.
Covey (2004) points out that the day-to-day demands and
distractions of modern life—“the thick of thin things”—often
interfere with being able to access and implement a personal
mission statement. Covey also emphasizes that while our lives
are in constant flux, a congruent mission statement provides an
inner sense of stability amidst rapid social change.
Covey (2004) describes several other principles that are in-
troduced to students. The concept of being proactive is often
difficult for many young adults, who view their immediate life
circumstances being controlled by faculty, parents, or even,
romantic partners, to initially grasp. Covey’s (2004) principle
that there is a psychological “space” between external stimuli
and our behavioral response is often a powerful realization.
This internal experience is under personal control and can lead
to valued behavior reflecting one’s personal mission. In sum,
while students cannot control others’ actions, they can control
their own reactions.
Application of the Principles to the Classroom
Increasingly, university students enter higher education with
a strong career focus. Many of them, recognizing the competi-
tiveness of Western culture, believe that one needs to make a
decision about important life issues early and quickly. Critics
have argued that higher education, itself, is increasingly moving
away from the moratorium that Erickson recommends and also
towards education that has practical application (Saunders,
1982). Computer skills are increasingly emphasized over grap-
pling with philosophy or the symbolic meaning of a novel. One
unfortunate casualty of the move towards greater careerism is
that young adults often do not have any stimulus or framework
for developing a meaningful and consist e n t value system.
The original intent of the assignment was to have the stu-
dents experience the type of staff education and training pro-
vided by some large organizations as part of their human re-
sources program. In the first author’s previous experience as a
director of a nonprofit organization, managers were regularly
assigned a book that was the focus of discussion for multiple
meetings. Both because of the benefits of Covey’s framework
for working towards goals as well as to give the students a
“taste” of a tool used for management training, they were asked
to keep a workbook and log of their reading. Since the course
was in human resources and personnel training, this exercise
had the added benefit of providing the students with direct ex-
perience of staff training.
The workbook is a step-by-step process which includes
helping the reader to articulate and organize core values, con-
