There are certain summers that stick with you—not because everything went smoothly, but because life had a way of handing you exactly the lessons you needed. My internship in the state of Washington, the summer of 1980, was one of those. Back then, I was a junior at Iowa State, trying to line up all the things I thought would guarantee a good job after graduation: solid grades, some campus involvement, and most importantly, that golden ticket on any engineering résumé—an internship in your field. So I spent the spring sending out application after application, collecting a thick stack of rejection letters in return. It became routine enough that some days I’d find myself laughing at how efficiently companies could say “No thanks.” My dorm room wall was full of “flush letters” and I treated it like it was a badge of honor.
How to Develop Your Personal Mission Statement
by Stephen R. Covey
How to Develop Your Personal Mission Statement
by Stephen R. Covey
Title: How to Develop Your Personal Mission Statement Author: Stephen R. Covey
In “How to Develop Your Personal Mission Statement,” Stephen Covey provides a practical guide to crafting a mission statement that serves as a guiding compass for personal and professional success. Covey emphasizes the importance of aligning one’s actions with one’s values and goals, and he presents a step-by-step process for creating a mission statement that reflects one’s unique identity and aspirations.
Covey outlines a systematic approach to developing a personal mission statement, which involves the following steps:
1. Reflect on Your Values and Principles Covey encourages readers to reflect on their core values and principles—the fundamental beliefs that guide their actions and decisions. By identifying what matters most to them, individuals can establish a foundation for their mission statement.
2. Define Your Life Roles Covey suggests identifying the various roles one plays in life, such as parent, spouse, employee, and community member. Each role contributes to one’s overall sense of purpose and fulfillment, and it is important to consider how these roles intersect with one’s values and goals.
3. Set Long-Term Goals Covey emphasizes the importance of setting long-term goals that align with one’s values and principles. These goals serve as a roadmap for personal and professional growth, guiding individuals towards their desired outcomes and aspirations.
4. Draft Your Mission Statement Based on the insights gained from the previous steps, Covey guides readers through the process of drafting their mission statement. He encourages clarity, simplicity, and authenticity in crafting a statement that resonates with one’s values, goals, and aspirations.
Once a personal mission statement has been developed, Covey emphasizes the importance of integrating it into one’s daily life. He suggests regularly reviewing and revising the mission statement to ensure that it remains relevant and aligned with one’s evolving values and goals. Covey also encourages individuals to use their mission statement as a guide for decision-making and prioritization, helping them stay focused on what matters most.
Covey’s practical guidance and actionable insights empower readers to create a mission statement that reflects their unique identity and aspirations, guiding them towards a life of meaning, fulfillment, and impact.
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Tim is a graduate of Iowa State University and has a Mechanical Engineering degree. He spent 40 years in Corporate America before retiring and focusing on other endeavors. He is active with his loving wife and family, volunteering, keeping fit, running the West Egg businesses, and writing blogs and articles for the newspaper.
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Long Lake Summers
There are seasons in life you don’t see coming—chapters that don’t announce themselves with fanfare, yet settle so deeply into your memory that years later you can still smell the lake water, feel the pull of the tow rope, and hear the hum of a boat engine echoing across a still summer evening. For me, one of those chapters began the moment I graduated from Iowa State in May of 1981 and took my first real job at 3M. I was barely 22, carrying that mix of confidence and cluelessness that only a new graduate can pull off, and ready to step into the adult world.

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